Smith International, Inc.

Abaco Drilling Technologies LLC

Other

Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Basintek, LLC

Megastir Technologies LLC

Services Petroliers Schlumberger

Schlumberger Holdings Limited

Peter Thomas Cariveau

Jing Lu

Robert H Slaughter, Jr

Roger Didericksen

J Daniel Belnap

Yi Fang

Timothy Mark Miller

Georgiy Voronin

Yuelin Shen

Sujian Huang

Youhe Zhang

Anthony Griffo

Bala Durairajan

Feng Yu

Gary Ray Portwood

Lance D Underwood

Chris Edward Cawthorne

Federico Bellin

Nephi M Mourik

Maxim Pushkarev

Brian P Jarvis

William E Murray

Michael L Stewart

Robert Bohmer

Brian Williams

Nigel Wilcox

Ronald K Eyre

Geoffrey Charles Downton

Michael Allen Siracki

Gokturk Tunc

Robert M Denton

Lawrence C Lee

Vincent Wayne Shotton

Andrei Plop

William M Conn

Daniel D Alvarado

Madapusi K Keshavan

James Layne Larsen

Alan W Lockstedt

Alysia C White

Guodong Zhan

Steven W Peterson

Manikiran Bandi

Kirk A Norris

Damon T Landrum

Shun'etsu Onodera

James L Neville

Yuri Y Burhan

Samba Ba

Warren E Askew

Loel Gene Corbett

Shunetsu Onodera

Robert Wagoner

Jorge A Gonzalez

Nephi A Mourik

Steven C Gaare

Pierre Lauric Dubesset

Frederico Bellin

Scott Meng

Jonathan Jared McCalip

Zhigang Zak Fang

Scott M Packer

Scott D McDonough

Russell J Steel

Yahua Bao

Thomas White

John Daniel Belnap

Julien Ramier

David Rosal

Prabhakaran K Centala

Zhehua Zhang

Lance T Richman

John L Williams

Robert Slaughter

Mahavir Nagaraj

Fakhroldin Mohammad Jadbabaei

Guojiang Fan

Gerald Demenna

Lance Richman

Robert H Slaughter

John Williams

Fakhroldin M Jadbabaei

Minor diameter enlargements are engineered into a stator in a positive displacement motor (PDM) power section to relieve stator stress concentrations at the lower (downhole) end of the power section in the presence of rotor tilt. The minor diameter enlargements may include one or more contoured stress relief lengths according to various tapered or step functions.

Rotor tilt compensation in PDM stators

A rubber compound for use in a stator. The rubber compound includes a fiber reinforcement, which may include fibrillated fibers in some embodiments, and short chop fibers in others. Fibers in the fiber reinforcement create a grain direction. In some embodiments, the rubber compound has a first value for 25% tensile Modulus across the grain and a second value for 25% tensile Modulus with the grain, wherein the first value is at least 10% lower than the second value. In embodiments, the fiber reinforcement may include a fiber loading of greater than 1.0 phr of fibers. In embodiments, the rubber compound may have a 25% tensile Modulus of greater than 400 psi across the grain and a 50% tensile Modulus of greater than 700 psi across the grain. In embodiments, at least some of the fibers may have a Modulus greater than 2.0 GPa.

Rubber compound with fiber reinforcement

A ball-CV style transmission suitable for use in a Positive Displacement Motor (PDM). A shaft provides shaft wings received into housing receptacles on a housing. A Unitary Torque Transfer Element (UTTE) is interposed between each shaft wing and housing within each housing receptacle, with a spherical surface on the UTTE received into a recess preferably on the housing. The UTTEs float within their corresponding housing receptacles so as to maintain torque transfer contact between all thrust surfaces during articulated rotation of the shaft with respect to the housing. The UTTEs preferably float generally radially towards the shaft centerline as angular deflection increases during articulated rotation.

PDM transmission with articulated torque transfer

Tapered stator designs are engineered in a positive displacement motor (PDM) power section to relieve stator stress concentrations at the lower (downhole) end of the power section in the presence of rotor tilt. A contoured stress relief is provided in the stator to compensate for rotor tilt, where the taper is preferably more aggressive at the lower end of the stator near the bit.

High modulus liners in PDM stators with diameter reliefs compensating for rotor tilt

A rubber compound for use in a stator. The stator may be deployed in a positive displacement motor. The rubber compound includes a fiber reinforcement, wherein fibers in the fiber reinforcement create a grain direction in which 'with the grain' is generally orthogonal to “across the grain”. In some embodiments, the rubber compound has a first value for 25% tensile Modulus across the grain and a second value for 25% tensile Modulus with the grain, wherein the first value is at least 10% lower than the second value. In such embodiments, the fiber reinforcement may further include a fiber loading of greater than 1.0 phr of fibers. In such embodiments, the rubber compound may further have a 25% tensile Modulus of greater than 400 psi across the grain and a 50% tensile Modulus of greater than 700 psi across the grain.

Fiber-reinforced rubber compound useful in PDM stators

Unlaminated bearings (or Torque Transfer Elements, or TTEs) are disposed to slide and displace within pockets (or 'housing cavity receptacles') provided in the internal periphery of a housing in which an articulating shaft is received. As the shaft 'tilts' about its untilted axial centerline during misaligned rotation, convex curved bearing surfaces on shaft pins slidably rotate against corresponding concave curved bearings surfaces on the T as received in the housing cavity receptacles. Further, substantially flat surfaces on the TTEs are disposed to slidably displace against corresponding bearing surfaces on the housing cavity receptacles as the shaft tilts and the convex curved bearing surfaces on the shaft pins slidably rotate against the concave curved bearing surfaces on the TTEs. The sliding displacement of TTEs with respect to the housing cavity receptacles during articulated rotation is in a direction generally parallel to the shaft's untilted axial centerline.

PDM transmission with sliding contact between convex shaft pins and concave bearings surfaces

A stator for use in a positive displacement motor or a progressing cavity pump. The stator comprises an elastomer mix preferably including rubber and a fiber reinforcement. The fiber reinforcement includes a plurality of fibers. The elastomer mix is formed into a stator via an injection molding process. The injection molding process includes a shear flow step in which shear flow is induced in the elastomer mix while the elastomer mix is in an uncured state. The shear flow modifies the orientation of the fibers into an advantageous modified fiber orientation. Shear flow is induced preferably via differential rotation of injection mold assembly elements during the injection molding process. Methods of manufacturing the stator are also disclosed.

Elastomeric stator with modified fiber orientation

Tapered stator designs are engineered in a positive displacement motor (PDM) power section to relieve stator stress concentrations at the lower (downhole) end of the power section in the presence of rotor tilt. A contoured stress relief (i.e. a taper) is provided in the stator to compensate for rotor tilt, where the taper is preferably more aggressive at the lower end of the stator near the bit.

Positive displacement motor stators with diameter reliefs compensating for rotor tilt

An adapted elastomer compound, in which the adaptation is based at least in part on load performance data of a rotor/stator test coupon as evaluated on a test apparatus. The test coupon's stator section includes the original elastomer compound before adaptation thereof. The test apparatus includes a motor, a brake, and at least one sensor disposed to evaluate load performance data of the test coupon. The load performance data is the product of the process comprising the steps of: (a) rotating either the rotor section or the stator section on the test apparatus, wherein such rotation section actuates corresponding rotation of the other of the rotor section and the stator section; (b) applying a braking torque to the actuated rotor section or stator section; and (c) responsive to step (b), evaluating load performance data of the test coupon.

Tested products of PDM performance testing device

A ball-CV style transmission suitable for use in a Positive Displacement Motor (PDM). A shaft provides shaft wings received into housing receptacles on a housing. A ball and a Torque Transfer Element (TTE) is interposed between each shaft wing and housing within each housing receptacle, with the ball received into opposing recesses preferably on the shaft wing and the TTE. The TTEs float within their corresponding housing receptacles so as to maintain torque transfer contact between all thrust surfaces during articulated rotation of the shaft with respect to the housing. The TTEs preferably float generally radially towards the shaft centerline as angular deflection increases during articulated rotation.

PDM transmission with ball-CV torque transfer

A rubber compound for use in a stator in a positive displacement motor. The rubber compound includes a fiber reinforcement, wherein fibers in the fiber reinforcement create a grain direction in which 'with the grain' is generally orthogonal to 'across the grain'. In some embodiments, the rubber compound has a first value for 25% tensile Modulus across the grain and a second value for 25% tensile Modulus with the grain, wherein the first value is at least 10% lower than the second value. In such embodiments, the fiber reinforcement may further include a fiber loading of greater than 5.0 phr of fibers. In such embodiments, the rubber compound may further have a 25% tensile Modulus of greater than 400 psi across the grain and a 50% tensile Modulus of greater than 700 psi across the grain.

Rubber compound with high fiber loading useful in PDM stators

Tapered stators in positive displacement motors remediating effects of rotor tilt

A rubber compound for use in a stator in a positive displacement motor. The rubber compound includes a fiber reinforcement, wherein fibers in the fiber reinforcement create a grain direction in which 'with the grain' is generally orthogonal to 'across the grain'. In some embodiments, the rubber compound has a first value for 25% tensile Modulus across the grain and a second value for 25% tensile Modulus with the grain, wherein the first value is at least 10% lower than the second value. In such embodiments, the fiber reinforcement may further include a fiber loading of greater flan 1.0 phr of fibers. In such embodiments, the rubber compound may further have a 25% tensile Modulus of greater than 400 psi across the grain and a 50% tensile Modulus of greater than 700 psi across the grain.

Fiber-loaded rubber compound useful in PDM stators

A rotor and/or stator dampening system includes a stator and/or rotor with a liner selected of one or more materials to achieve a desired dampening effect. In one implementation, a progressive cavity motor or pump includes a stator with an internal axial bore therethrough. The stator has a liner along an axial length thereof with an inwardly facing surface defining the internal axial bore therethrough. The liner has a plurality of axial sections with at least two of the plurality of axial sections being constructed of different materials. A compression resistant mechanism, such as a spring or spring-like device, is disposed within at least one of the axial sections of the liner. The progressive cavity motor or pump also includes a rotor that is disposed and is rotatable within the internal axial bore of the stator to form a moving chamber between the rotor and the stator.

Progressive cavity motor dampening system

A torque transmission comprising input and output shaft adapters. Pins disposed on an outer surface of the input shaft adapter. Each pin provides a curved pin portion oriented generally perpendicular to the input shaft adapter's longitudinal axis. The output shaft adapter provides a recess with a plurality of receptacles (or 'notches') formed in the recess's periphery, wherein the recess is shaped and sized such that when the input shaft adapter is received inside the recess, each pin is received into a corresponding notch. The torque transmission further comprises torsional bearings interposed between the pins and the notches, each torsional bearing providing a curved laminate portion such that the curved laminate portions contact the curved pin portions when the pins are received into their corresponding notches. The torsional bearings may further provide flat laminate portions that contact the notch when the pins are received into the notches.

BHA transmission with laminated rubber bearings

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

Peter Thomas Cariveau