Rotary steerable push-the-bit drilling apparatus with self-cleaning fluid filter
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
E21B-007/06
E21B-007/04
E21B-017/10
출원번호
US-0733703
(2013-01-03)
등록번호
US-8869916
(2014-10-28)
발명자
/ 주소
Clausen, Jeffery Ronald
Prill, Jonathan Ryan
출원인 / 주소
National Oilwell Varco, L.P.
대리인 / 주소
Conley Rose, P.C.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
4인용 특허 :
126
초록▼
A steerable drilling apparatus includes a control system inside a cylindrical housing connected to a drill bit having radially-extendable pistons. A fluid-metering assembly directs a piston-actuating fluid into fluid channels leading to respective pistons. The control system controls the fluid-meter
A steerable drilling apparatus includes a control system inside a cylindrical housing connected to a drill bit having radially-extendable pistons. A fluid-metering assembly directs a piston-actuating fluid into fluid channels leading to respective pistons. The control system controls the fluid-metering assembly to allow fluid flow to selected pistons, causing the actuated pistons to temporarily extend in the opposite direction to a desired wellbore deviation, thereby deflecting the drill bit away from the borehole centerline. An upper member in the fluid-metering assembly can be moved to stabilize, steer, and change TFA within the drill bit. The control system and drill bit are connected so as to facilitate removal to change the drill bit's steering section and cutting structure configuration or gauge simultaneously. The apparatus may incorporate a fluid filter module mounted to the control system. The pistons may incorporate auxiliary cutting elements to provide near-bit reaming capability.
대표청구항▼
1. A rotary steerable drilling apparatus comprising: a control assembly disposed within a cylindrical housing;a steering section having a central axis, a first end coupled to the housing, a second end, a central channel extending axially from the first end, and a fluid channel extending axially from
1. A rotary steerable drilling apparatus comprising: a control assembly disposed within a cylindrical housing;a steering section having a central axis, a first end coupled to the housing, a second end, a central channel extending axially from the first end, and a fluid channel extending axially from the first end and radially-spaced from the central channel, wherein the central channel is configured to flow drilling fluid through the steering section to a cutting structure;a piston housed in the steering section, wherein the fluid channel in the steering section extends to the piston and is configured to flow drilling fluid to the piston, and wherein the piston is configured to move radially outward in response to drilling fluid supplied by the fluid channel;a fluid-metering assembly configured to selectively meter the flow of drilling fluid into the fluid channel of the steering section, wherein the fluid-metering assembly includes a first component coupled to the control assembly and a second component coupled to the steering section;wherein the first component includes a central through bore and a fluid port radially spaced from the central through bore;wherein the second component includes a central through bore and a fluid inlet radially-spaced from the central through bore of the second component, wherein the central through bore of the second component is in fluid communication with the central through bore of the first component and the central channel of the steering section, and wherein the fluid inlet of the second component is in fluid communication with the fluid channel of the steering section;wherein the control assembly is configured to move the first component relative to the second component to control the flow of drilling fluid through the fluid port into the fluid inlet of the second component;a filter module disposed in the housing and configured to filter the drilling fluid passing through the fluid port of the first component into the fluid inlet of the second component. 2. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first end of the steering section is coupled to a lower end of the housing; and wherein the first component is positioned axially above the second component. 3. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second end of the steering section comprises the cutting structure. 4. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control assembly is configured to rotate the first component relative to the second component to place the fluid port of the first component into fluid communication with the fluid channel of the second component. 5. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first component comprises an annular upper member including the central through bore of the first component and a cylindrical skirt extending axially from the upper member, wherein the fluid port extends radially through the cylindrical skirt; wherein the cylindrical skirt is disposed about and slidingly engages the second component. 6. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second component includes an upper cylindrical section coaxially disposed within the cylindrical skirt of the first component and a lower cylindrical section extending axially from the cylindrical skirt of the first component; wherein an outer surface of the upper cylindrical section includes a radial recess and the fluid inlet extends axially from the radial recess through the lower section. 7. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first component comprises an upper flange and a cylindrical sleeve extending axially from the upper flange, wherein the central through bore of the first component extends axially through the upper flange and the cylindrical sleeve, and wherein the fluid port of the first component extends radially through the upper flange; wherein the second component has an upper end, a lower end, a counterbore extending axially from the upper end, and a recess extending axially from the upper end and radially from the cylindrical recess, wherein the central through bore of the second component extends axially from the counterbore to the lower end and the fluid channel extends axially from the recess to the lower end. 8. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter module is axially positioned between the control assembly and the first component. 9. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the filter module is configured to move with the first component. 10. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 8, wherein the filter module includes a fluid passage extending axially therethrough, a plurality of fluid ports extending radially from the fluid passage to a radially outer surface of the filter module, and one or more filter elements extending across the fluid ports; wherein the fluid passage is in fluid communication with the central channel of the steering section and the fluid ports of the filter module are in fluid communication with the fluid port of the first component. 11. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an annulus radially positioned between the filter module and the housing, wherein the annulus is in fluid communication with the fluid ports of the filter module and the fluid port of the first component. 12. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more filter elements are disposed along an inner surface of the filter module defining the fluid passage of the filter module; wherein the fluid passage of the filter module is configured to continuously flow drilling fluid to the central channel of the steering section and flow drilling fluid to the fluid ports;wherein the flow of drilling fluid through the fluid passage of the filter module is configured to remove solid particles captured by the one or more filter elements and flush the removed solid particles into the central channel of the steering section. 13. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter module is self-cleaning. 14. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more filter elements comprise a cylindrical screen disposed within the fluid passage of the filter module and covering each of the plurality of fluid ports of the filter module. 15. A rotary steerable drilling apparatus comprising: a cylindrical housing;a control assembly disposed in the housing;a steering section having a central axis, an upper end coupled to a lower end of the housing, a lower end, a central channel extending axially from the upper end, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fluid channels disposed about the central channel and extending axially from the upper end of the steering section, wherein the central channel is configured to flow drilling fluid through the steering section to a cutting structure;a plurality of pistons housed in the steering section, wherein each fluid channel in the steering section extends to one of the pistons and is configured to flow drilling fluid to the corresponding piston, and wherein each piston is configured to move radially outward in response to drilling fluid supplied by the corresponding fluid channel;a fluid-metering assembly configured to selectively meter the flow of drilling fluid into the fluid channels of the steering section, wherein the fluid-metering assembly includes a lower component fixably coupled to the upper end of the steering section and an upper component coupled to the control assembly;wherein the upper component includes a central through bore and a fluid port radially spaced from the central through bore;wherein the lower component includes a central through bore and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced fluid inlets disposed about the central through bore of the lower component, wherein the central through bore of the lower component is in fluid communication with the central through bore of the upper component and the central channel of the steering section, and wherein each fluid inlet of the lower component is in fluid communication with one of the fluid channels of the steering section;wherein the control assembly is configured to move the upper component relative to the lower component to control the flow of drilling fluid through the fluid port into the fluid inlets of the lower component;a filter module disposed in the housing and configured to filter the drilling fluid passing through the fluid port of the first component. 16. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the lower end of the steering section comprises the cutting structure. 17. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the control assembly is configured to rotate the upper component relative to the lower component to place the fluid port of the upper component into fluid communication with the fluid channels of the second component in sequence. 18. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the upper component comprises an annular upper member including the central through bore of the upper component and a cylindrical skirt extending axially from the upper member, wherein the fluid port extends radially through the cylindrical skirt; wherein the cylindrical skirt is disposed about and slidingly engages the lower component. 19. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 18, wherein the lower component includes an upper cylindrical section coaxially disposed within the cylindrical skirt of the upper component and a lower cylindrical section extending axially from the cylindrical skirt of the upper component; wherein an outer surface of the upper cylindrical section includes a plurality of circumferentially-spaced radial recesses and each fluid inlet extends axially from one of the radial recesses through the lower section. 20. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 17, wherein the upper component comprises an upper flange and a cylindrical sleeve extending axially from the upper flange, wherein the central through bore of the upper component extends axially through the upper flange and the cylindrical sleeve, and wherein the fluid port of the upper component extends radially through the upper flange; wherein the lower component has an upper end, a lower end, a counterbore extending axially from the upper end, and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced recesses, wherein each recess in the lower component extends axially from the upper end and radially from the cylindrical recess, wherein the central through bore of the second component extends axially from the counterbore to the lower end and each fluid channel extends axially from one of the recesses to the lower end. 21. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the filter module is axially positioned between the control assembly and the upper component. 22. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the filter module is configured to move with the upper component. 23. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the filter module includes a fluid passage extending axially therethrough, a fluid port extending radially from the fluid passage to a radially outer surface of the filter module, and a filter element configured to filter drilling fluid flowing through the fluid port; wherein the fluid passage is in fluid communication with the central channel of the steering section and the fluid port of the filter module is in fluid communication with the fluid port of the upper component. 24. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 23, further comprising an annulus radially positioned between the filter module and the housing, wherein the annulus is in fluid communication with the fluid ports of the filter module and the fluid port of the first component. 25. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 23, wherein the filter element is disposed along an inner surface of the filter module defining the fluid passage of the filter module; wherein the fluid passage of the filter module is configured to continuously flow drilling fluid to the central channel of the steering section and flow drilling fluid to the fluid ports;wherein the flow of drilling fluid through the fluid passage of the filter module is configured to remove solid particles captured by the one or more filter elements and flush the removed solid particles into the central channel of the steering section. 26. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 25, wherein the filter element comprises a cylindrical screen disposed within the fluid passage of the filter module and covering each of the plurality of fluid ports of the filter module. 27. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein each piston has an outer surface comprising a plurality of auxiliary cutting elements configured to engage a borehole sidewall. 28. The rotary steerable drilling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the filter module is self-cleaning. 29. A method for drilling a borehole with a drill bit having a cutting structure, the method comprising: (a) flowing drilling fluid through a housing to a fluid metering assembly, wherein the fluid metering assembly includes a lower sleeve and an upper sleeve rotatable relative to the lower sleeve, wherein the lower sleeve includes a central bore and a plurality of fluid inlets and the upper sleeve includes a central bore and a fluid-metering opening;(b) flowing drilling fluid through the central bore of the upper sleeve and the central bore of the lower sleeve into a central channel of a steering section coupled to a lower end of the housing;(c) diverting a first portion of the drilling fluid flowing through the fluid-metering opening of the upper sleeve and a first of the fluid inlets of the lower sleeve into a first fluid channel of the steering section during (b);(d) filtering the first portion of the drilling fluid to remove at least some solids particles from the drilling fluid;(e) flowing the first portion of drilling fluid through the first fluid channel to a first piston housed in the steering section after (d); and(f) moving the first piston radially outward from the steering section during (e). 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising: (g) diverting a second portion of the drilling fluid flowing through the fluid-metering opening of the upper sleeve and a second of the fluid inlets of the lower sleeve into a second fluid channel of the steering section during (b) and after (c);(h) filtering the second portion of the drilling fluid;(i) flowing the second portion of drilling fluid through the second fluid channel to a second piston housed in the steering section after (h); and(j) moving the second piston radially outward from the steering section during (i). 31. The method of claim 30, wherein (c) comprises rotating the upper sleeve relative to the lower sleeve to align the fluid-metering opening of the upper sleeve with the first of the fluid inlets of the lower sleeve; and wherein (g) comprises rotating the upper sleeve relative to the lower sleeve to align the fluid-metering opening of the upper sleeve with the second of the fluid inlets of the lower sleeve. 32. The method of claim 29, further comprising: flowing the first portion through an annulus radially positioned between a filter module and the housing. 33. The method of claim 29, wherein (d) comprises capturing the at least some solids particles in a filter element. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the filter element is a screen. 35. The method of claim 33, further comprising removing at least some of the solids particles captured in the filter element with drilling fluid that flows into the central channel of the steering section.
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