Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.

Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Larry DeLynn Chambers

Neelesh V Deolalikar

Olumide O Odegbami

Michael Dewayne Finke

Daniel Winslow

Mark Anthony Sitka

Ravi P Nanayakkara

Krutibas Panda

Richard Thomas Hay

Wei Zhang

David A Babb

Zenon Lysenko

Aaron W Sanders

Alan K Schrock

Lizheng Zhang

Brian Lee Doud

Mukul M Agnihotri

Joe Marzouk

Daniel Patrick Carter

John Tsavalas

James H Gilchrist

H Ray Jouett

Benjamin Scott Riley

Charles Keillor

Charles M Keillor

Methods of manufacturing monolithic components with complex design features and functionally graded properties in any spatial direction may include forming of outer shell with an additive manufacturing process, loading the shell with bulk material and exposing the loaded shell to a hot isostatic pressing (HIP) process. The combination of the additive manufacturing process and the HIP process forms a diffusion bond between the outer shell and the bulk material resulting in a monolithic component with functionally graded properties. The outer shell may include an exterior surface and an inner passage formed with relatively hard surfaces to accommodate fluids in a wellbore.

Additive manufacturing of components with functionally graded properties

An extendable member diagnostic assembly determines performance of one or more components of a rotary steerable system. Based on the determined performance, an operation can be altered, such as a drilling operation. Performance may be based on measurements received from one or more sensors associated with components of the extendable member diagnostic assembly. For example, performance may be based on the time to transition a valve between states where the valve controls actuation of an extendable member, downhole temperature, downhole pressure or any other factors that affect performance of components that are used to perform the drilling operation. A controller receives the measurements from the one or more sensors and updates baseline parameters to determine an accurate performance. Using real time data to determine performance increases efficiency of an operation by eliminating unnecessary replacement of components and indicating that a downhole tool should be retrieved prior to failure.

Using solenoid characteristics for performance diagnostics on rotary steerable systems

A drill string steering system includes a motor and a rotary valve body disposed in a tool body. The motor includes a motor shaft coupled to the motor and extending within a central bore of the tool body. The motor shaft has a downhole engagement portion that includes a first splined surface. The rotary valve body includes a disk-shaped component and a valve shaft coupled to the disk-shaped component and extending uphole of the disk-shaped component. The valve shaft includes a second splined surface engageable with the first splined surface for rotation of the motor shaft to be imparted to the rotary valve body.

Steering system for use with a drill string

A rotary valve can include a seat and a rotary actuator, each with a surface, the rotary actuator rotatably mounted to a housing. The surfaces can form a seal due to their engagement with an engagement force used to maintain the engagement. One biasing device can elevate pressure in a sealed volume in the valve at a constant level above an external pressure. The elevated pressure can produce a pressure differential across the rotary actuator, thereby producing at least a portion of the engagement force. Another biasing device can act between a splined hub and a mated splined shaft, thereby applying at least a portion of the engagement force through the shaft to the rotary actuator. Fluid flowing through a screen can create a pressure drop, thereby causing a pressure differential across the rotary actuator and applying at least a portion of the engagement force to the surfaces.

Rotary valve with valve seat engagement compensation

A rotary valve can include a housing, a manifold with multiple flow paths can be fixedly mounted to the housing. A rotary actuator with a first surface can be rotatably mounted within the housing, and a valve seat with a second surface can be fixedly attached to the manifold, where the second surface can sealingly engage the first surface. The rotary actuator can include a gap that selectively aligns with respective ones of valve seat ports as the rotary actuator rotates relative to the valve seat, thereby selectively pressurizing one or more actuators. A system and method can include a rotary valve that selectively causes pads to extend at a predetermined orientation in the wellbore to steer a drill bit. The azimuthal orientation of a rotary actuator of the valve can determine which pads are extended and which are retracted as the drill bit rotates.

Steering a drill bit with a rotary valve

A rotary steerable tool for directional drilling includes a tool body including an outer surface and a flowbore therethrough, a pad movably coupled to the tool body and alternately movable between an extended position and a retracted position, and a piston engageable with the pad to move the pad. The tool further includes a pressurized fluid supply flow path to provide fluid pressure to the piston for the piston to controllably move the pad to the extended position, and a dump valve in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid supply flow path to selectively vent fluid pressure to allow the pad to move from the extended position toward the retracted position.

Rotary steerable tool with dump valve

Steering mechanisms for use in RSS systems may be devoid of an elastomeric piston seal. Pistons of the steering mechanisms have a convex cross-section that permit the piston to pivot along with a steering pad while moving laterally or radially along a piston axis defined by a piston bore. Hydraulic pressure may be maintained as the pad is extended since a limited gap size between the piston and the bore may be maintained throughout the motion of the pistons. The pistons may be retained to the steering pad in a T-slot and may be elongated in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the piston bore. A groove may be provided around the piston for a receiving a back-up seal therein. The back-up seal may include wear resistant balls embedded in a matrix, and balls may be preloaded to serve as flow restrictors even when worn.

Steering actuation mechanism

A drill string steering system includes a flow manifold and a rotary valve. An actuation flow channel and a backflow channel are rotatable with respect to piston flow channels of the flow manifold. The actuation flow channel is rotatable relative to the flow manifold to increase or decrease flow toward the piston for controlling actuation of the piston. The backflow channel is rotatable relative to the flow manifold to increase or decrease flow away from the piston to the annulus for controlling retraction of the piston.

A rotary steerable tool for directional drilling includes a tool body including a flowbore for flowing pressurized fluid therethrough and a plurality of extendable members movably coupled to the tool body for selectively engaging a borehole wall, each extendable member including a piston for moving the extendable member to an extended position. The tool further includes a pressurized fluid supply flow path to provide fluid pressure from the flowbore to the pistons, and a plurality of linear actuators, each independently actuatable to control fluid pressure from the pressurized fluid supply flow path to a respective piston.

Rotary steerable tool with independent actuators

A device comprising a housing having a longitudinal dimension; a linear actuator including a casing coupled to the housing; an actuator shaft having an exterior surface and configured to be longitudinally translated relative to the casing; and a seal assembly engaging the housing and sealingly engaging the exterior surface. The device also comprising a motor assembly disposed within the housing, the motor assembly including a motor case and a motor shaft, the motor shaft configured to rotate one of the seal assembly or the actuator shaft.

Device including a seal assembly

A method and apparatus according to which an output of a power generation system is controlled. In one embodiment, the power generation system includes a turbine and a feedback control system. The turbine includes a rotor to which a first portion of a power fluid is communicated, the first portion imparting torque to the rotor; a shaft to which the rotor is connected; a shroud extending circumferentially about the rotor and the shaft; and a bypass gap between the rotor and the shroud, through which a second portion of the power fluid is communicated. The feedback control system axially displaces the shroud relative to the rotor, thereby adjusting the size of the bypass gap and, consequently, the ratio of the first portion relative to the second portion.

Downhole turbine with an adjustable shroud

A rotary valve with increased resistance to degradation that can include, a manifold with multiple flow paths, a rotary actuator rotatably mounted within the valve, and a valve seat that is fixedly attached to the manifold, with an end (or component) of the rotary actuator made from silicon carbide diamond (ScD) and the end having a first surface. The valve seat can have a second surface that sealingly engages the first surface. Manufacturing a rotary valve can include combining diamond particles in a press with silicon and applying temperature and pressure to produce a piece of ScD. Interposing a compound between the piece and a structure and brazing them by heating the compound between 700-1200 degrees Celsius. Forming ports and flow paths in the piece by machining the piece with an Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) tool.

Degradation resistant rotary valves for downhole tools

Well systems comprise communicating devices for use in subterranean formations. An example well system comprises a mud valve system having a stator and a rotor to modulate drilling mud flow to provide increased pulse amplitude signals up-hole for improved and faster signaling from down-hole tools while also providing for better detection capability up-hole. The improved signaling technique permits for deeper well applications.

Growing community of inventors

Kingwood, TX, United States of America

Larry DeLynn Chambers