US20100175926A1 - Roller cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same - Google Patents
Roller cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same Download PDFInfo
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- US20100175926A1 US20100175926A1 US12/354,604 US35460409A US2010175926A1 US 20100175926 A1 US20100175926 A1 US 20100175926A1 US 35460409 A US35460409 A US 35460409A US 2010175926 A1 US2010175926 A1 US 2010175926A1
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- integral
- tooth
- cone body
- teeth
- forming
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- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 72
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 title description 4
- 238000005552 hardfacing Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 127
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 107
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 claims description 42
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- 238000005245 sintering Methods 0.000 claims description 4
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- 230000001747 exhibiting effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 claims 1
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- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 6
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 description 6
- UONOETXJSWQNOL-UHFFFAOYSA-N tungsten carbide Chemical compound [W+]#[C-] UONOETXJSWQNOL-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 5
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000000314 lubricant Substances 0.000 description 4
- 229910000760 Hardened steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 229910045601 alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000000956 alloy Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
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- 229910000531 Co alloy Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
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- 238000007792 addition Methods 0.000 description 1
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Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B10/00—Drill bits
- E21B10/08—Roller bits
- E21B10/16—Roller bits characterised by tooth form or arrangement
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B10/00—Drill bits
- E21B10/46—Drill bits characterised by wear resisting parts, e.g. diamond inserts
- E21B10/50—Drill bits characterised by wear resisting parts, e.g. diamond inserts the bit being of roller type
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to rotary drill bits for drilling wellbores in subterranean formations, to components of such drill bits, and to methods of manufacturing such drill bits and components.
- Roller cone earth-boring bits are commonly used for drilling subterranean earth formations.
- One type of roller cone earth-boring bit is a steel tooth or milled tooth earth-boring drill bit which typically comprises two or more cones with teeth protruding from the surface of each cone for engaging the rock.
- the teeth are made of hardened steel and generally are triangular in cross-sectional shape (as observed in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cone).
- Another type of roller cone earth-boring bit has annular structures exhibiting substantially circular exteriors, which are termed “disks” or “disk cutters,” and protrude from the surface of the cone for engaging the rock.
- the disks are also made of hardened steel and extend around a circumference of the cone.
- Typical hardfacing material may be formed from a particle-matrix composite material.
- particle-matrix composite materials include particles of hard material such as, for example, tungsten carbide dispersed throughout a metal-matrix material (often referred to as a “binder” material). Particle-matrix composite materials exhibit relatively higher erosion resistance and wear resistance relative to the hardened steel of the teeth and disks.
- Deposition of hardfacing material on the surfaces of the milled teeth or disks may be accomplished using manual welding processes or an automated hardfacing system.
- Typical manual welding processes include a person holding a welding torch and a rod of hardfacing material and welding a coating of hardfacing material to the surface of a tooth. After one tooth has been coated, the person moves the torch, the hardfacing material, and/or the cone to permit the next tooth to be coated.
- Automated processes may be very complex due to the geometry, inaccessibility to the faces of each tooth or disk by a hardfacing torch, and the number of teeth on a milled-tooth cone.
- the present invention includes methods of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring bit.
- a non-integral tooth may be formed adjacent at least one integral tooth.
- a non-integral tooth may be formed in a gap between two-integral teeth.
- such a gap may be located between at least two integral teeth on different rows of teeth, or such a gap may be located between at least two integral teeth in the same row of teeth.
- the present invention includes methods of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring rotary drill bit in which at least one non-integral disk cutter is provided on a roller cone adjacent to an integral disk cutter on the cone.
- a gap may be formed between two integral disk cutters, and at least one non-integral disk cutter may be provided in the gap.
- the present invention includes methods of forming earth-boring rotary drill bits in which a plurality of integral teeth are formed on a cutter, and hardfacing material is deposited on the cutter to form at least one non-integral tooth thereon.
- the hardfacing material may be deposited on the cutter in a gap between two adjacent integral teeth, and the hardfacing material may be built up to form at least one non-integral tooth between the integral teeth.
- a hardfacing layer may be applied to at least one surface on each of the adjacent integral teeth.
- the present invention includes methods of forming earth-boring bits in which integral teeth are formed on a cutter, hardfacing is applied to the integral teeth, and a non-integral tooth is separately formed from the cutter and bonded to the cutter in a gap between two integral teeth.
- the present invention includes earth-boring bits having a roller cone mounted to a bit leg.
- the roller cone includes at least one integral tooth formed on a surface of the roller cone, and at least one non-integral tooth bonded to the surface of the roller cone adjacent the integral tooth.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an earth-boring rotary drill bit of the present invention
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of a roller cone of the present invention
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention.
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention.
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention.
- FIG. 6 illustrates hardfacing material being applied to the portion of the partially formed roller cone shown in FIG. 5 ;
- FIG. 7 illustrates a cutting structure formed by application of hardfacing material to the portion of the partially formed roller cone, as shown in FIG. 6 ;
- FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a robot that may be used to form roller cones in accordance with embodiments of the present invention
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial view of a non-integral tooth being applied to a portion of a partially formed roller cone
- FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a roller cone of the present invention that includes a non-integral tooth disposed between two integral teeth of the roller cone;
- FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial view of another embodiment of a non-integral tooth applied to a portion of a partially formed roller cone;
- FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a roller cone of the present invention.
- FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention.
- FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention.
- FIG. 1 An embodiment of an earth-boring drill bit 102 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 as a non-limiting example of a drill bit employing a plurality of roller cones.
- the drill bit 102 comprises a bit body 104 having three bit legs 106 .
- a cone 109 is rotably mounted to a bearing pin (not shown) on each of the bit legs 106 .
- the cone body 108 ( FIG. 2 ) of each cone 109 may be at least substantially comprised of, for example, an iron-based alloy (e.g., steel).
- each cone 109 has three rows of teeth 110 , 111 including an outer row 112 , an inner row 114 , and an intermediate row 116 .
- the cones 109 of the drill bit 102 include both integral teeth and non-integral teeth, as discussed in further detail below.
- a circumferential recess 118 may be disposed between the inner row 114 and the intermediate row 116 , as well as between the intermediate row 116 and the outer row 112 .
- Each tooth 110 is separated from adjacent teeth in the same row by a valley 128 .
- Each cone 109 also has a gage surface 130 that defines the diameter of the bit and the borehole.
- Embodiments of drill bits 102 and cones 109 of the present invention may have any number of rows of teeth 110 , 111 and may have any number of teeth 110 , 111 . Furthermore, embodiments of drill bits 102 and cones 109 of the present invention may have teeth 110 , 111 that are arranged in any pattern on the cones 109 , and the teeth 110 , 111 may not be arranged in rows.
- the drill bit 102 has a threaded section 122 at its upper end for connection to a drillstring (not shown).
- the drill bit 102 also has an internal fluid plenum that extends through the bit body 104 , as well as fluid passageways that extend from the fluid plenum to nozzles 124 .
- drilling fluid may be pumped down the center of the drillstring, through the fluid plenum and fluid passageways, and out the nozzles 124 .
- Each bit leg 106 also may include a lubricant reservoir for supplying lubricant to the bearing surfaces between the cones 109 and the bearing pins on which they are mounted.
- a pressure compensator 126 may be used to equalize the lubricant pressure with the borehole fluid pressure, as known in the art.
- FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a cone 109 of the drill bit 102 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the cone 109 includes both integral teeth 110 and non-integral teeth 111 .
- integral tooth means a tooth having at least a major portion thereof that is integrally formed with and an integral part of the cone body 108 of a roller cone 109 such that no identifiable, discrete boundary exists between the cone body 108 of the roller cone 109 and the major portion of the tooth.
- integral teeth 110 may be formed by machining a cone body 108 of a roller cone 109 using machining methods such as, for example, turning, milling, and/or drilling.
- non-integral tooth means a tooth having a major portion thereof that is either formed separately from and attached to the cone body 108 of a roller cone 109 , or is formed on the cone body 108 of the roller cone 109 such that an identifiable discrete boundary exists between the cone body 108 of the roller cone 109 and the major portion of the tooth.
- each of the outer row 112 and the inner row 114 comprises integral teeth 110
- the intermediate row 116 comprises non-integral teeth 111 .
- each tooth 110 , 111 of the cone 109 may comprise a hardfacing material 120 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ).
- a layer of hardfacing material 120 may be applied over each integral tooth 110 of the cone 109 , and a major portion of each non-integral tooth 111 of the cone 109 may be formed from the hardfacing material 120 .
- various welding processes including, for example, metal-inert gas (MIG) welding processes, tungsten-inert gas (TIG) welding process, plasma arc welding (PAW) processes may be used to apply a layer of hardfacing material 120 over integral teeth 110 and to form a major portion of non-integral teeth 111 by building up the teeth 111 from the hardfacing material 120 in a layer-by-layer process.
- MIG metal-inert gas
- TOG tungsten-inert gas
- PAW plasma arc welding
- the teeth 110 , 111 on the cone 109 are formed very close together. If each of the teeth 110 , 111 were integrally formed with the cone 109 (i.e., were an integral tooth 110 ), it might be difficult to apply a layer of hardfacing material 120 over each of the teeth 110 , 111 due to the difficulty of positioning a welding torch between the teeth 110 , 111 . In other words, it may be difficult to appropriately position a welding torch between the teeth 110 , 111 to apply hardfacing material 120 to the surfaces thereof due to physical interference between the welding torch and adjacent teeth 110 , 111 . As a result, the areas of the teeth 110 , 111 that could be covered with hardfacing material 120 might be limited.
- Additional embodiments of the present invention include methods of forming roller cones for earth-boring roller drill bits that may be used to overcome such problems, as described in further detail herein below.
- a cone body 108 may be machined to form the intermediate cone structure 166 shown in FIG. 3 .
- the intermediate cone structure 166 includes an outer row 112 of integral teeth 110 and an inner row 114 of integral teeth 110 .
- a gap 132 may be formed between the integral teeth 110 of the outer row 112 and the integral teeth 110 of the inner row 114 at the location on the cone body 108 at which non-integral teeth 111 ( FIG. 2 ) will be subsequently formed.
- the outer row 112 and the inner row 114 of integral teeth 110 may extend circumferentially about a rotational axis of the cone body 108 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- a layer of hardfacing material 120 may be applied to one or more surfaces of each integral tooth 110 of the outer row 112 and the inner row 114 .
- the welding torch used to apply the hardfacing material 120 may be at least partially positioned within the gap 132 between the outer row 112 and the inner row 114 .
- non-integral teeth 111 may be formed on, or separately formed and attached to, the cone body 108 in the gap 132 between the outer row 112 and the inner row 114 to form the cone 109 shown in FIG. 2 .
- a cone body 108 may be machined to form the intermediate cone structure 170 shown in FIG. 4 .
- the intermediate cone structure 170 includes an outer row 172 of integral teeth 110 , an inner row 174 of integral teeth 110 , and an intermediate row 176 of integral teeth 110 .
- a gap 182 may be formed between the integral teeth 110 of the outer row 172 , between the integral teeth 110 of the inner row 174 , and between the integral teeth 110 of the intermediate row 176 .
- the gaps 182 may be located on the cone body 108 at locations at which non-integral teeth 111 ( FIG. 2 ) will be subsequently formed. Each gap 182 may be sized to accommodate one or more non-integral teeth 111 .
- a layer of hardfacing material 120 may be applied to one or more surfaces of each integral tooth 110 of the outer row 172 , the inner row 174 , and the intermediate row 176 .
- the welding torch used to apply the hardfacing material 120 may be at least partially positioned within the gaps 182 between integral teeth 110 in each of the outer row 172 , the inner row 174 , and the intermediate row 176 .
- non-integral teeth 111 may be formed on, or separately formed and attached to, the cone body 108 in the gaps 182 between the integral teeth 110 in each of the outer row 172 , the inner row 174 , and the intermediate row 176 to form a cone similar to the cone 109 shown in FIG. 2 .
- intermediate cone structures may be formed to comprise any number of missing teeth and/or rows for subsequently providing non-integral teeth therein.
- an intermediate cone structure may include both gaps 132 between rows of teeth, as previously described in relation to FIG. 3 , as well as gaps 182 between integral teeth 110 in the same row of teeth, as previously described in relation to FIG. 4 .
- a marking feature or structure may be provided on a cone body 108 of an intermediate cone structure at each location at which a non-integral tooth 111 is to be formed on the cone body 108 or attached to the cone body 108 .
- FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of an embodiment of an intermediate cone structure of the present invention, similar to that shown in FIG. 4 , and illustrates a marking feature comprising a marking stub 134 formed on the cone body 108 in a gap 182 adjacent an integral tooth 110 .
- the marking stub 134 defines an area on the surface of the cone body 108 in the at least one gap 132 at which a non-integral tooth 111 is to be formed or attached. As shown in FIG.
- the marking stub 134 may comprise a relatively small protrusion formed on the cone body 108 having a size at least substantially corresponding to a size of a base of a non-integral tooth 111 to be formed on or attached to the marking stub 134 .
- the marking stub 134 may extend, for example, about 1 ⁇ 8 of an inch from a surrounding outer surface of the cone body 108 .
- a cone body 108 may be etched or inscribed to mark the location of non-integral teeth 111 to be formed on or attached to the cone body 108 . For example, if a row of non-integral teeth 111 is to be provided on a cone body, as shown in FIG.
- lines may be etched or inscribed on the cone body 108 that extend circumferentially around the cone body 108 about a rotational axis of the cone body 108 to define longitudinal boundaries of non-integral teeth 111 to be formed on or attached to the cone body 108
- lines may be etched or inscribed on the cone body 108 that extend longitudinally between the circumferential lines to define the circumferential boundaries of non-integral teeth 111 to be formed on or attached to the cone body 108 .
- markings may be formed during the machining process or processes used to form the integral teeth 110 on the cone body 108 .
- one or more non-integral teeth 111 may be formed on a cone body 108 by depositing hardfacing material 120 on the cone body 108 in such a manner as to build up the non-integral teeth 111 on the cone body 108 from the hardfacing material 120 .
- FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate one example of an embodiment of a method of the present invention that may be used to form a non-integral tooth 111 on a cone body 108 . Referring to FIG.
- hardfacing material 120 may be deposited on the cone body 108 (e.g., on a marking stub 134 of a cone body 108 in a gap 132 or a gap 182 ) in a layer-by-layer process (i.e., successively deposited layers of hardfacing material 120 being deposited over previously deposited layers of hardfacing material 120 ) so as to form one or more non-integral teeth 111 like that shown in FIG. 7 comprising multiple layers of hardfacing material 120 .
- an integral tooth 110 may be formed on a cone body 108 and a hardfacing material 120 may be applied to a surface of the integral tooth 110 .
- a marking stub 134 may be formed on the cone body 108 adjacent the integral tooth 110 , and hardfacing material 120 may be deposited on the marking stub 134 to build up a non-integral tooth 111 on the marking stub 134 from the hardfacing material 120 .
- the hardfacing material 120 may be deposited by, for example, manually welding the hardfacing material 120 to the cone body 108 using a welding torch 138 and a tube or rod 136 comprising hardfacing material 120 .
- the hardfacing tube or rod 136 and the welding torch 138 may be moved across the surfaces of the integral tooth 110 and the marking stub 134 to weld the hardfacing material 120 to the integral tooth 110 and the marking stub 134 .
- Layers of hardfacing 120 may be sequentially deposited on the marking stub 134 in a layer-by-layer process to form a non-integral tooth 111 having a desirable height and shape.
- surfaces of the non-integral tooth 111 may be machined or ground as necessary or desirable to remove a portion of the hardfacing material 120 to provide the non-integral tooth 111 with a desirable geometry and dimension.
- a template structure may be placed over the non-integral tooth 111 and the non-integral tooth 111 may be machined to cause the non-integral tooth 111 to conform to surfaces of the template. Using a template may help to ensure that the non-integral teeth 111 conform to a desirable shape and dimension.
- the hardfacing material 120 may have any suitable composite composition comprising a discontinuous hard phase dispersed within a continuous matrix phase.
- the hardfacing material may comprise relatively hard ceramic particles dispersed throughout a metallic matrix material.
- Many hardfacing compositions are known in the art and may be employed as a hardfacing material 120 in embodiments of the present invention. Examples of such hardfacing compositions are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,512, entitled Hardfacing Composition for Earth - Boring Bits, issued Sep. 2, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,149, entitled Hardfacing Composition for Earth - Boring Bits using Macrocrystalline Tungsten Carbide and Spherical Cast Tungsten Carbide, issued Jun. 19, 2007, and pending U.S. patent application Ser.
- the hardfacing material 120 may be applied to the cone body 108 using welding techniques.
- the hardfacing material 120 may be applied manually using a welding torch and a rod or tube comprising hardfacing material 120 .
- a tube comprising hardfacing material may comprise a hollow, cylindrical tube formed from a metal material that will eventually form a continuous metal-matrix phase of the hardfacing material 120 .
- the tube may be filled with hard particles, such as, for example, tungsten carbide particles that will eventually form a discontinuous hard phase of the hardfacing material 120 .
- At least one end of the hollow, cylindrical tube may be sealed. The sealed end of the tube may then be melted or welded onto the surface of the cone body 108 .
- a solid rod of hardfacing material 120 may be used instead of a tube.
- the welding torch may comprise, for example, an arc welding torch or a fuel torch (e.g., an oxygen-acetylene torch).
- a plasma torch may be used to weld the hardfacing material 120 to the cone body 108 .
- powdered hardfacing material 120 e.g., hard particles and particles comprising metal-matrix material
- the hardfacing material 120 may be deposited using an automated (e.g., robotic) process.
- a welding torch and/or a cone body 108 may be robotically manipulated while using the welding torch to deposit hardfacing material 120 on the cone body 108 .
- Automated welding processes and systems that may be used to deposit the hardfacing material 120 on the cone body 108 are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,150 entitled Methods of Production of Workpieces by Welding Equipment, filed Aug. 3, 1993, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/095,523 entitled Method and Apparatus for Forming a Workpiece, filed Mar. 13, 2002, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/257,219, entitled Method and Apparatus for Automated Application of Hardfacing Material to Drill Bits, filed Oct. 23, 2008, the entire disclosure of each of which document is incorporated herein by this reference.
- FIG. 8 illustrates one example of an automated robotic system that may be used to apply hardfacing material 120 to a cone body 108 (e.g., to apply a layer of hardfacing material 120 to surfaces of integral teeth 110 and/or to build-up the non-integral teeth 111 from hardfacing material 140 .
- a first robotic device 141 A may be used to manipulate a roller cone body 108
- a second robotic device 141 B may be used to manipulate a welding torch 138 as the welding torch 138 is used to deposit hardfacing material 120 on the cone body 108 .
- the cone body 108 may remain stationary while the second robotic device 141 B manipulates the welding torch 138 around the surface of the cone body 108 .
- the welding torch 138 may remain stationary while the first robotic device 141 A manipulates the cone body 108 such that the surface of the cone body 108 contacts the welding torch 138 .
- both the welding torch 138 and the cone body 108 may be manipulated by the first and second robotic devices 141 A and 141 B to contact the welding torch 138 with the surface of the cone body 108 .
- a laser sensor 146 may be used to determine a distance between the welding torch 138 and the surface of the cone body 108 and/or to measure a thickness of hardfacing material 120 applied to the surface of the cone body 108 .
- Each of the first and second robotic devices 141 A and 141 B may be provided with multiple (e.g., five, six, or more) axes of rotation 144 (or degrees of freedom) to provide sufficient freedom of movement between the welding torch 138 and the cone body 108 .
- the welding torch 138 may comprise a pulsed plasma-transferred arc welding (PTAW) torch in which the torch is used to generate a plasma column between the welding torch 138 and the cone body 108 , or a plasma-transferred arc in which the current of the plasma transfer arc may be pulsed as the welding torch 138 is used to deposit hardfacing material 120 on the cone body 108 .
- PTAW pulsed plasma-transferred arc welding
- a hardfacing material 120 used to form non-integral teeth 111 may be at least substantially identical in composition to a hardfacing material 120 that is applied over surfaces of integral teeth 110 .
- hardfacing material 120 having a first composition may be used to form non-integral teeth 111 on a cone body 108
- hardfacing material 120 having a second, different composition may be used to form a layer of hardfacing material 120 over integral teeth 110 on the cone body 108 .
- hardfacing materials 120 having different compositions may be used to form different portions or regions of non-integral teeth 111 .
- an interior region of non-integral teeth 111 may be formed from and comprise hardfacing material 120 having a first composition
- an exterior region of the non-integral teeth 111 may be formed from and comprise a hardfacing material 120 having a second composition differing from that of the first hardfacing material 120 .
- the composition of the first hardfacing material 120 may exhibit a toughness that is relatively greater than a toughness exhibited by the composition of the second hardfacing material 120
- the composition of the second hardfacing material 120 may exhibit a hardness and/or wear resistance that is relatively greater than a hardness and/or wear resistance exhibited by the composition of the first hardfacing material 120 .
- non-integral teeth 111 may be separately formed from the cone body 108 and subsequently attached thereto.
- FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial view of a cone body 108 and illustrates a non-integral tooth 111 that is being positioned on and attached to the cone body 108 in a gap 132 adjacent an integral tooth 110 .
- the non-integral tooth 111 may be separately formed from the cone body 108 .
- the non-integral tooth 111 may comprise a particle-matrix composite material (e.g., a hardfacing material) that includes hard particles (e.g., particles of tungsten carbide) dispersed within a metal-matrix material (e.g., a nickel-based, cobalt-based, or iron-based metal alloy).
- the non-integral tooth 111 may be formed using, for example, a sintering process in which a particulate green body is sintered to form the non-integral tooth 111 .
- a particulate green body may be formed using known green body forming techniques including, for example, powder pressing techniques, powder injection molding techniques, and casting techniques (e.g., slurry casting techniques and tape casting techniques).
- a powder mixture comprising hard particles and particles of a metal-matrix material (and, optionally, organic binders, lubricants, compaction aids, etc.) may be injected into a mold cavity having a shape corresponding to a desirable shape for a non-integral tooth 111 to form a green body.
- the green body then may be removed from the mold and sintered to a desired final density in a furnace to form the non-integral tooth 111 .
- the non-integral tooth 111 may be attached to the cone body 108 by bonding (e.g., brazing or welding) the non-integral tooth 111 to the cone body 108 with a metallic material.
- the metallic material 154 may comprise, for example, an iron-based alloy, a nickel-based alloy, or a cobalt-based alloy.
- FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a non-integral tooth 111 attached to a cone body 108 between two integral teeth 110 . As shown in FIG. 10 , a metallic material 154 may be disposed between at least a portion of the non-integral tooth 111 and the cone body 108 .
- FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of a non-integral tooth 111 welded to a cone body 108 with a bead of metallic material 154 adjacent an integral tooth 110 .
- the bead of metallic material 154 may be welded to the non-integral tooth 111 and the cone body 108 around the perimeter of the base of the non-integral tooth 111 .
- Separately fabricating a non-integral tooth 111 and subsequently attaching the non-integral tooth 111 to the cone body 108 may be relatively useful for smaller cone bodies 108 on which it may be difficult to form a non-integral tooth 111 directly on the cone body 108 , as previously described herein.
- the non-integral tooth 111 and the cone body 108 may be co-sintered together in a furnace to bond the non-integral tooth 111 to the cone body 108 .
- roller cone 109 having both integral teeth 110 and non-integral teeth 111
- additional embodiments of the present invention include roller cones having all non-integral teeth 111 and no integral teeth 110 .
- Such non-integral teeth 111 may be formed directly on the cone body 108 , or separately formed and attached to the cone body 108 as previously described herein.
- FIG. 12 illustrates an example embodiment of a roller cone 177 of the present invention having disk cutters.
- the roller cone 177 has an outer disk cutter 183 , an inner disk cutter 184 , and an intermediate disk cutter 186 .
- Each of the disk cutters 183 , 184 , 186 extends circumferentially around the cone body 108 about a rotational axis thereof.
- the roller cone 177 may comprise more or fewer disk cutters.
- One or more of the disk cutters 183 , 184 , 186 may be an integral disk cutter that is integrally formed with and an integral part of the cone body 108 .
- one or more of the disk cutters 183 , 184 , 186 may comprise a non-integral disk cutter that is formed on the cone body 108 or formed separately from the cone body 108 and attached thereto.
- a cone body 108 may be shaped (e.g., machined) to form an intermediate cone structure 178 comprising an integral disk cutter 183 , another integral disk cutter 184 , and a gap or recess 132 between the integral disk cutter 183 and the integral disk cutter 184 .
- a layer of hardfacing material 120 may be applied to the integral disk cutter 183 and the integral disk cutter 184 using techniques known in the art as previously described. After applying hardfacing material 120 to the integral disk cutter 183 and the integral disk cutter 184 , the non-integral disk cutter 186 may be formed directly on the cone body 108 , or the non-integral disk cutter 186 may be separately formed from the cone body 108 and subsequently attached thereto to form the roller cone 177 shown in FIG. 12 .
- the non-integral disk cutter 186 may be provided on the cone body 108 in the at least one gap 132 by, for example, depositing hardfacing material 120 over a surface of the cone body 108 in the at least one gap 132 and forming the at least one non-integral disk cutter 186 from the hardfacing material 120 .
- FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a roller cone 195 of the present invention.
- the roller cone 195 is similar to the roller cone 177 shown in FIG. 12 and includes a cone body 108 , an outer integral disk cutter 192 , an inner integral disk cutter 194 , and an intermediate non-integral disk cutter 196 .
- the disk cutters 192 , 194 , 196 have a serrated cutting edge.
- the roller cone 195 shown in FIG. 14 may be formed using embodiments of methods of the present invention, as previously described herein.
- the present invention is described herein in relation to embodiments of earth-boring rotary drill bits that include rolling cutters and to embodiments of methods for forming such drill bits, the present invention also encompasses other types of earth-boring tools such as, for example, reamers, mills, and so-called “hybrid bits” that include both one or more roller cones and fixed cutters on blades or other supporting structures, as well as methods for forming such tools.
- the term “drill bit” includes and encompasses all of the foregoing earth-boring tools, as well as components and subcomponents of such structures.
Abstract
Methods of manufacturing roller cones for drill bits include providing both integral teeth and non-integral teeth on the roller cones. A layer of hardfacing may be applied to the integral teeth. Non-integral teeth may be formed on a body of a cone, or they may be separately formed from the body and attached thereto. In some embodiments, the non-integral teeth are formed by building-up the non-integral teeth from hardfacing material. Roller cones and earth-boring tools are formed using such methods.
Description
- The present invention relates generally to rotary drill bits for drilling wellbores in subterranean formations, to components of such drill bits, and to methods of manufacturing such drill bits and components.
- Roller cone earth-boring bits are commonly used for drilling subterranean earth formations. One type of roller cone earth-boring bit is a steel tooth or milled tooth earth-boring drill bit which typically comprises two or more cones with teeth protruding from the surface of each cone for engaging the rock. The teeth are made of hardened steel and generally are triangular in cross-sectional shape (as observed in a plane perpendicular to the rotational axis of the cone). Another type of roller cone earth-boring bit has annular structures exhibiting substantially circular exteriors, which are termed “disks” or “disk cutters,” and protrude from the surface of the cone for engaging the rock. The disks are also made of hardened steel and extend around a circumference of the cone. Surfaces of the milled teeth or disks that engage the rock are usually coated with a layer of hardfacing material to increase wear-resistance. Typical hardfacing material may be formed from a particle-matrix composite material. Such particle-matrix composite materials include particles of hard material such as, for example, tungsten carbide dispersed throughout a metal-matrix material (often referred to as a “binder” material). Particle-matrix composite materials exhibit relatively higher erosion resistance and wear resistance relative to the hardened steel of the teeth and disks.
- Deposition of hardfacing material on the surfaces of the milled teeth or disks may be accomplished using manual welding processes or an automated hardfacing system. Typical manual welding processes include a person holding a welding torch and a rod of hardfacing material and welding a coating of hardfacing material to the surface of a tooth. After one tooth has been coated, the person moves the torch, the hardfacing material, and/or the cone to permit the next tooth to be coated. Automated processes may be very complex due to the geometry, inaccessibility to the faces of each tooth or disk by a hardfacing torch, and the number of teeth on a milled-tooth cone.
- Whether manual or automatic means are used to apply the hardfacing to the roller cone, the proximity of the teeth and/or disks may make it difficult or impossible to adequately weld hardfacing material to the surfaces of each tooth or disk. As such, there is a need in the art for improved methods of applying hardfacing material to a cone for a roller cone bit.
- In some embodiments, the present invention includes methods of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring bit. A non-integral tooth may be formed adjacent at least one integral tooth. For example, a non-integral tooth may be formed in a gap between two-integral teeth. As non-limiting examples, such a gap may be located between at least two integral teeth on different rows of teeth, or such a gap may be located between at least two integral teeth in the same row of teeth.
- In additional embodiments, the present invention includes methods of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring rotary drill bit in which at least one non-integral disk cutter is provided on a roller cone adjacent to an integral disk cutter on the cone. For example, a gap may be formed between two integral disk cutters, and at least one non-integral disk cutter may be provided in the gap.
- In yet additional embodiments, the present invention includes methods of forming earth-boring rotary drill bits in which a plurality of integral teeth are formed on a cutter, and hardfacing material is deposited on the cutter to form at least one non-integral tooth thereon. For example, the hardfacing material may be deposited on the cutter in a gap between two adjacent integral teeth, and the hardfacing material may be built up to form at least one non-integral tooth between the integral teeth. Furthermore, a hardfacing layer may be applied to at least one surface on each of the adjacent integral teeth.
- In further embodiments, the present invention includes methods of forming earth-boring bits in which integral teeth are formed on a cutter, hardfacing is applied to the integral teeth, and a non-integral tooth is separately formed from the cutter and bonded to the cutter in a gap between two integral teeth.
- In further embodiments, the present invention includes earth-boring bits having a roller cone mounted to a bit leg. The roller cone includes at least one integral tooth formed on a surface of the roller cone, and at least one non-integral tooth bonded to the surface of the roller cone adjacent the integral tooth.
- While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming that which is regarded as the present invention, the advantages of this invention may be more readily ascertained from the description of embodiments of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an earth-boring rotary drill bit of the present invention; -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of a roller cone of the present invention; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention; -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention; -
FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention; -
FIG. 6 illustrates hardfacing material being applied to the portion of the partially formed roller cone shown inFIG. 5 ; -
FIG. 7 illustrates a cutting structure formed by application of hardfacing material to the portion of the partially formed roller cone, as shown inFIG. 6 ; -
FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a robot that may be used to form roller cones in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; -
FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial view of a non-integral tooth being applied to a portion of a partially formed roller cone; -
FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a roller cone of the present invention that includes a non-integral tooth disposed between two integral teeth of the roller cone; -
FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial view of another embodiment of a non-integral tooth applied to a portion of a partially formed roller cone; -
FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a roller cone of the present invention; -
FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention; and -
FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of a partially formed roller cone of the present invention. - Some of the illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual views of any particular material, device, or system, but are merely idealized representations which are employed to describe the present invention. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.
- An embodiment of an earth-
boring drill bit 102 of the present invention is illustrated inFIG. 1 as a non-limiting example of a drill bit employing a plurality of roller cones. Thedrill bit 102 comprises abit body 104 having threebit legs 106. Acone 109 is rotably mounted to a bearing pin (not shown) on each of thebit legs 106. The cone body 108 (FIG. 2 ) of eachcone 109 may be at least substantially comprised of, for example, an iron-based alloy (e.g., steel). In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 , eachcone 109 has three rows ofteeth outer row 112, aninner row 114, and anintermediate row 116. Thecones 109 of thedrill bit 102 include both integral teeth and non-integral teeth, as discussed in further detail below. - A
circumferential recess 118 may be disposed between theinner row 114 and theintermediate row 116, as well as between theintermediate row 116 and theouter row 112. Eachtooth 110 is separated from adjacent teeth in the same row by avalley 128. Eachcone 109 also has agage surface 130 that defines the diameter of the bit and the borehole. - Embodiments of
drill bits 102 andcones 109 of the present invention may have any number of rows ofteeth teeth drill bits 102 andcones 109 of the present invention may haveteeth cones 109, and theteeth - The
drill bit 102 has a threadedsection 122 at its upper end for connection to a drillstring (not shown). Thedrill bit 102 also has an internal fluid plenum that extends through thebit body 104, as well as fluid passageways that extend from the fluid plenum tonozzles 124. During drilling, drilling fluid may be pumped down the center of the drillstring, through the fluid plenum and fluid passageways, and out thenozzles 124. - Each
bit leg 106 also may include a lubricant reservoir for supplying lubricant to the bearing surfaces between thecones 109 and the bearing pins on which they are mounted. Apressure compensator 126 may be used to equalize the lubricant pressure with the borehole fluid pressure, as known in the art. -
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of acone 109 of thedrill bit 102 shown inFIG. 1 . As previously mentioned, thecone 109 includes bothintegral teeth 110 andnon-integral teeth 111. As used herein, the term “integral tooth” means a tooth having at least a major portion thereof that is integrally formed with and an integral part of thecone body 108 of aroller cone 109 such that no identifiable, discrete boundary exists between thecone body 108 of theroller cone 109 and the major portion of the tooth. Suchintegral teeth 110 may be formed by machining acone body 108 of aroller cone 109 using machining methods such as, for example, turning, milling, and/or drilling. As used herein, the term “non-integral tooth” means a tooth having a major portion thereof that is either formed separately from and attached to thecone body 108 of aroller cone 109, or is formed on thecone body 108 of theroller cone 109 such that an identifiable discrete boundary exists between thecone body 108 of theroller cone 109 and the major portion of the tooth. In the example embodiment shown inFIG. 2 , each of theouter row 112 and theinner row 114 comprisesintegral teeth 110, while theintermediate row 116 comprisesnon-integral teeth 111. - At least an outer surface of each
tooth cone 109 may comprise a hardfacing material 120 (FIGS. 1 and 2 ). For example, in some embodiments, a layer ofhardfacing material 120 may be applied over eachintegral tooth 110 of thecone 109, and a major portion of eachnon-integral tooth 111 of thecone 109 may be formed from thehardfacing material 120. In such embodiments, various welding processes including, for example, metal-inert gas (MIG) welding processes, tungsten-inert gas (TIG) welding process, plasma arc welding (PAW) processes may be used to apply a layer ofhardfacing material 120 overintegral teeth 110 and to form a major portion ofnon-integral teeth 111 by building up theteeth 111 from thehardfacing material 120 in a layer-by-layer process. Furthermore, thehardfacing material 120 may be applied manually or robotically. - As shown in
FIG. 2 , theteeth cone 109 are formed very close together. If each of theteeth hardfacing material 120 over each of theteeth teeth teeth hardfacing material 120 to the surfaces thereof due to physical interference between the welding torch andadjacent teeth teeth hardfacing material 120 might be limited. Furthermore, it might be difficult to modify the shape, size, and/or configuration of theteeth cone 109 to facilitate such application ofhardfacing material 120 without comprising a desirable drilling performance of the drill bit. Additional embodiments of the present invention include methods of forming roller cones for earth-boring roller drill bits that may be used to overcome such problems, as described in further detail herein below. - An example embodiment of a method of the present invention that may be used to form the
roller cone 109 shown inFIG. 2 is described below with reference toFIG. 3 . Acone body 108 may be machined to form theintermediate cone structure 166 shown inFIG. 3 . Theintermediate cone structure 166 includes anouter row 112 ofintegral teeth 110 and aninner row 114 ofintegral teeth 110. Agap 132 may be formed between theintegral teeth 110 of theouter row 112 and theintegral teeth 110 of theinner row 114 at the location on thecone body 108 at which non-integral teeth 111 (FIG. 2 ) will be subsequently formed. Theouter row 112 and theinner row 114 ofintegral teeth 110 may extend circumferentially about a rotational axis of thecone body 108, as shown inFIG. 3 . - A layer of hardfacing material 120 (
FIG. 5 ) may be applied to one or more surfaces of eachintegral tooth 110 of theouter row 112 and theinner row 114. As at least a portion of thehardfacing material 120 is applied to surfaces of theintegral teeth 110, the welding torch used to apply thehardfacing material 120 may be at least partially positioned within thegap 132 between theouter row 112 and theinner row 114. By providing thegap 132 between theintegral teeth 110 of theouter row 112 and theintegral teeth 110 of theinner row 114, physical interference problems may be reduced or eliminated to facilitate the application of thehardfacing material 120 to theintegral teeth 110. - After applying a layer of
hardfacing material 120 to one or more surfaces of theintegral teeth 110,non-integral teeth 111 may be formed on, or separately formed and attached to, thecone body 108 in thegap 132 between theouter row 112 and theinner row 114 to form thecone 109 shown inFIG. 2 . - Another embodiment of a method of the present invention that may be used to form a roller cone similar to the
roller cone 109 shown inFIG. 2 is described below with reference toFIG. 4 . Acone body 108 may be machined to form theintermediate cone structure 170 shown inFIG. 4 . Theintermediate cone structure 170 includes anouter row 172 ofintegral teeth 110, aninner row 174 ofintegral teeth 110, and anintermediate row 176 ofintegral teeth 110. Agap 182 may be formed between theintegral teeth 110 of theouter row 172, between theintegral teeth 110 of theinner row 174, and between theintegral teeth 110 of theintermediate row 176. Thegaps 182 may be located on thecone body 108 at locations at which non-integral teeth 111 (FIG. 2 ) will be subsequently formed. Eachgap 182 may be sized to accommodate one or morenon-integral teeth 111. - A layer of hardfacing material 120 (
FIG. 2 ) may be applied to one or more surfaces of eachintegral tooth 110 of theouter row 172, theinner row 174, and theintermediate row 176. As at least a portion of thehardfacing material 120 is applied to surfaces of theintegral teeth 110, the welding torch used to apply thehardfacing material 120 may be at least partially positioned within thegaps 182 betweenintegral teeth 110 in each of theouter row 172, theinner row 174, and theintermediate row 176. By providing thegaps 182 between theintegral teeth 110 of theouter row 172, theinner row 174, and theintermediate row 176, physical interference problems may be reduced or eliminated to facilitate the application of thehardfacing material 120 to theintegral teeth 110. - After applying a layer of
hardfacing material 120 to one or more surfaces of theintegral teeth 110,non-integral teeth 111 may be formed on, or separately formed and attached to, thecone body 108 in thegaps 182 between theintegral teeth 110 in each of theouter row 172, theinner row 174, and theintermediate row 176 to form a cone similar to thecone 109 shown inFIG. 2 . - In additional embodiments of the present invention, intermediate cone structures may be formed to comprise any number of missing teeth and/or rows for subsequently providing non-integral teeth therein. For example, an intermediate cone structure may include both
gaps 132 between rows of teeth, as previously described in relation toFIG. 3 , as well asgaps 182 betweenintegral teeth 110 in the same row of teeth, as previously described in relation toFIG. 4 . - In some embodiments of the present invention, a marking feature or structure may be provided on a
cone body 108 of an intermediate cone structure at each location at which anon-integral tooth 111 is to be formed on thecone body 108 or attached to thecone body 108.FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial view of an embodiment of an intermediate cone structure of the present invention, similar to that shown inFIG. 4 , and illustrates a marking feature comprising a markingstub 134 formed on thecone body 108 in agap 182 adjacent anintegral tooth 110. The markingstub 134 defines an area on the surface of thecone body 108 in the at least onegap 132 at which anon-integral tooth 111 is to be formed or attached. As shown inFIG. 5 , the markingstub 134 may comprise a relatively small protrusion formed on thecone body 108 having a size at least substantially corresponding to a size of a base of anon-integral tooth 111 to be formed on or attached to the markingstub 134. The markingstub 134 may extend, for example, about ⅛ of an inch from a surrounding outer surface of thecone body 108. - In additional embodiments, a
cone body 108 may be etched or inscribed to mark the location ofnon-integral teeth 111 to be formed on or attached to thecone body 108. For example, if a row ofnon-integral teeth 111 is to be provided on a cone body, as shown inFIG. 3 , lines may be etched or inscribed on thecone body 108 that extend circumferentially around thecone body 108 about a rotational axis of thecone body 108 to define longitudinal boundaries ofnon-integral teeth 111 to be formed on or attached to thecone body 108, and lines may be etched or inscribed on thecone body 108 that extend longitudinally between the circumferential lines to define the circumferential boundaries ofnon-integral teeth 111 to be formed on or attached to thecone body 108. Such markings may be formed during the machining process or processes used to form theintegral teeth 110 on thecone body 108. - As previously mentioned, in some embodiments of the present invention, one or more
non-integral teeth 111 may be formed on acone body 108 by depositinghardfacing material 120 on thecone body 108 in such a manner as to build up thenon-integral teeth 111 on thecone body 108 from thehardfacing material 120.FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate one example of an embodiment of a method of the present invention that may be used to form anon-integral tooth 111 on acone body 108. Referring toFIG. 6 ,hardfacing material 120 may be deposited on the cone body 108 (e.g., on amarking stub 134 of acone body 108 in agap 132 or a gap 182) in a layer-by-layer process (i.e., successively deposited layers ofhardfacing material 120 being deposited over previously deposited layers of hardfacing material 120) so as to form one or morenon-integral teeth 111 like that shown inFIG. 7 comprising multiple layers ofhardfacing material 120. For example, anintegral tooth 110 may be formed on acone body 108 and ahardfacing material 120 may be applied to a surface of theintegral tooth 110. A markingstub 134 may be formed on thecone body 108 adjacent theintegral tooth 110, andhardfacing material 120 may be deposited on the markingstub 134 to build up anon-integral tooth 111 on the markingstub 134 from thehardfacing material 120. By way of example and not limitation, thehardfacing material 120 may be deposited by, for example, manually welding thehardfacing material 120 to thecone body 108 using awelding torch 138 and a tube orrod 136 comprisinghardfacing material 120. The hardfacing tube orrod 136 and thewelding torch 138 may be moved across the surfaces of theintegral tooth 110 and the markingstub 134 to weld thehardfacing material 120 to theintegral tooth 110 and the markingstub 134. Layers ofhardfacing 120 may be sequentially deposited on the markingstub 134 in a layer-by-layer process to form anon-integral tooth 111 having a desirable height and shape. - After forming the
non-integral tooth 111 as shown inFIG. 7 , surfaces of thenon-integral tooth 111 may be machined or ground as necessary or desirable to remove a portion of thehardfacing material 120 to provide thenon-integral tooth 111 with a desirable geometry and dimension. In some embodiments, a template structure may be placed over thenon-integral tooth 111 and thenon-integral tooth 111 may be machined to cause thenon-integral tooth 111 to conform to surfaces of the template. Using a template may help to ensure that thenon-integral teeth 111 conform to a desirable shape and dimension. - The
hardfacing material 120 may have any suitable composite composition comprising a discontinuous hard phase dispersed within a continuous matrix phase. For example, the hardfacing material may comprise relatively hard ceramic particles dispersed throughout a metallic matrix material. Many hardfacing compositions are known in the art and may be employed as ahardfacing material 120 in embodiments of the present invention. Examples of such hardfacing compositions are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,512, entitled Hardfacing Composition for Earth-Boring Bits, issued Sep. 2, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,149, entitled Hardfacing Composition for Earth-Boring Bits using Macrocrystalline Tungsten Carbide and Spherical Cast Tungsten Carbide, issued Jun. 19, 2007, and pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/823,800, entitled Particle-Matrix Composite Drill Bits With Hardfacing and Methods of Manufacturing and Repairing Such Drill Bits Using Hardfacing Materials, filed Oct. 31, 2007, the entire disclosure of each of which document is incorporated herein by this reference. - The
hardfacing material 120 may be applied to thecone body 108 using welding techniques. By way of example and not limitation, thehardfacing material 120 may be applied manually using a welding torch and a rod or tube comprisinghardfacing material 120. A tube comprising hardfacing material may comprise a hollow, cylindrical tube formed from a metal material that will eventually form a continuous metal-matrix phase of thehardfacing material 120. The tube may be filled with hard particles, such as, for example, tungsten carbide particles that will eventually form a discontinuous hard phase of thehardfacing material 120. At least one end of the hollow, cylindrical tube may be sealed. The sealed end of the tube may then be melted or welded onto the surface of thecone body 108. As the tube melts, the hard particles within the hollow, cylindrical tube mix with and are suspended in the molten matrix material as it is deposited onto thecone body 108. In additional methods, a solid rod ofhardfacing material 120 may be used instead of a tube. The welding torch may comprise, for example, an arc welding torch or a fuel torch (e.g., an oxygen-acetylene torch). In yet additional methods, a plasma torch may be used to weld thehardfacing material 120 to thecone body 108. In such methods, powdered hardfacing material 120 (e.g., hard particles and particles comprising metal-matrix material) may be fed through the plasma torch and onto thecone body 108. - In additional embodiments, the
hardfacing material 120 may be deposited using an automated (e.g., robotic) process. For example, a welding torch and/or acone body 108 may be robotically manipulated while using the welding torch to deposithardfacing material 120 on thecone body 108. Automated welding processes and systems that may be used to deposit thehardfacing material 120 on thecone body 108 are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,150 entitled Methods of Production of Workpieces by Welding Equipment, filed Aug. 3, 1993, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/095,523 entitled Method and Apparatus for Forming a Workpiece, filed Mar. 13, 2002, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/257,219, entitled Method and Apparatus for Automated Application of Hardfacing Material to Drill Bits, filed Oct. 23, 2008, the entire disclosure of each of which document is incorporated herein by this reference. -
FIG. 8 illustrates one example of an automated robotic system that may be used to applyhardfacing material 120 to a cone body 108 (e.g., to apply a layer ofhardfacing material 120 to surfaces ofintegral teeth 110 and/or to build-up thenon-integral teeth 111 from hardfacing material 140. As shown inFIG. 8 , a firstrobotic device 141A may be used to manipulate aroller cone body 108, and a secondrobotic device 141B may be used to manipulate awelding torch 138 as thewelding torch 138 is used to deposithardfacing material 120 on thecone body 108. In one embodiment, thecone body 108 may remain stationary while the secondrobotic device 141B manipulates thewelding torch 138 around the surface of thecone body 108. In another embodiment, thewelding torch 138 may remain stationary while the firstrobotic device 141A manipulates thecone body 108 such that the surface of thecone body 108 contacts thewelding torch 138. In a further embodiment, both thewelding torch 138 and thecone body 108 may be manipulated by the first and secondrobotic devices welding torch 138 with the surface of thecone body 108. Alaser sensor 146 may be used to determine a distance between thewelding torch 138 and the surface of thecone body 108 and/or to measure a thickness ofhardfacing material 120 applied to the surface of thecone body 108. Each of the first and secondrobotic devices welding torch 138 and thecone body 108. In some embodiments, thewelding torch 138 may comprise a pulsed plasma-transferred arc welding (PTAW) torch in which the torch is used to generate a plasma column between thewelding torch 138 and thecone body 108, or a plasma-transferred arc in which the current of the plasma transfer arc may be pulsed as thewelding torch 138 is used to deposithardfacing material 120 on thecone body 108. - In some embodiments, a
hardfacing material 120 used to formnon-integral teeth 111 may be at least substantially identical in composition to ahardfacing material 120 that is applied over surfaces ofintegral teeth 110. In additional embodiments,hardfacing material 120 having a first composition may be used to formnon-integral teeth 111 on acone body 108, andhardfacing material 120 having a second, different composition may be used to form a layer ofhardfacing material 120 overintegral teeth 110 on thecone body 108. - In some embodiments,
hardfacing materials 120 having different compositions may be used to form different portions or regions ofnon-integral teeth 111. For example, an interior region ofnon-integral teeth 111 may be formed from and comprisehardfacing material 120 having a first composition, and an exterior region of thenon-integral teeth 111 may be formed from and comprise ahardfacing material 120 having a second composition differing from that of thefirst hardfacing material 120. In some embodiments, for example, the composition of thefirst hardfacing material 120 may exhibit a toughness that is relatively greater than a toughness exhibited by the composition of thesecond hardfacing material 120, and the composition of thesecond hardfacing material 120 may exhibit a hardness and/or wear resistance that is relatively greater than a hardness and/or wear resistance exhibited by the composition of thefirst hardfacing material 120. - As previously mentioned,
non-integral teeth 111 may be separately formed from thecone body 108 and subsequently attached thereto.FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial view of acone body 108 and illustrates anon-integral tooth 111 that is being positioned on and attached to thecone body 108 in agap 132 adjacent anintegral tooth 110. Thenon-integral tooth 111 may be separately formed from thecone body 108. For example, thenon-integral tooth 111 may comprise a particle-matrix composite material (e.g., a hardfacing material) that includes hard particles (e.g., particles of tungsten carbide) dispersed within a metal-matrix material (e.g., a nickel-based, cobalt-based, or iron-based metal alloy). - The
non-integral tooth 111 may be formed using, for example, a sintering process in which a particulate green body is sintered to form thenon-integral tooth 111. Such a particulate green body may be formed using known green body forming techniques including, for example, powder pressing techniques, powder injection molding techniques, and casting techniques (e.g., slurry casting techniques and tape casting techniques). For example, in an injection molding process, a powder mixture comprising hard particles and particles of a metal-matrix material (and, optionally, organic binders, lubricants, compaction aids, etc.) may be injected into a mold cavity having a shape corresponding to a desirable shape for anon-integral tooth 111 to form a green body. The green body then may be removed from the mold and sintered to a desired final density in a furnace to form thenon-integral tooth 111. - By way of example and not limitation, the
non-integral tooth 111 may be attached to thecone body 108 by bonding (e.g., brazing or welding) thenon-integral tooth 111 to thecone body 108 with a metallic material. Themetallic material 154 may comprise, for example, an iron-based alloy, a nickel-based alloy, or a cobalt-based alloy.FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of anon-integral tooth 111 attached to acone body 108 between twointegral teeth 110. As shown inFIG. 10 , ametallic material 154 may be disposed between at least a portion of thenon-integral tooth 111 and thecone body 108.FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of anon-integral tooth 111 welded to acone body 108 with a bead ofmetallic material 154 adjacent anintegral tooth 110. The bead ofmetallic material 154 may be welded to thenon-integral tooth 111 and thecone body 108 around the perimeter of the base of thenon-integral tooth 111. - Separately fabricating a
non-integral tooth 111 and subsequently attaching thenon-integral tooth 111 to thecone body 108 may be relatively useful forsmaller cone bodies 108 on which it may be difficult to form anon-integral tooth 111 directly on thecone body 108, as previously described herein. - In additional embodiments, the
non-integral tooth 111 and thecone body 108 may be co-sintered together in a furnace to bond thenon-integral tooth 111 to thecone body 108. - Although the previously described embodiments of the present invention include a
roller cone 109 having bothintegral teeth 110 andnon-integral teeth 111, additional embodiments of the present invention include roller cones having allnon-integral teeth 111 and nointegral teeth 110. Suchnon-integral teeth 111 may be formed directly on thecone body 108, or separately formed and attached to thecone body 108 as previously described herein. - Additional embodiments of the present invention may comprise cutting structures other than teeth. For example,
FIG. 12 illustrates an example embodiment of aroller cone 177 of the present invention having disk cutters. Theroller cone 177 has anouter disk cutter 183, aninner disk cutter 184, and anintermediate disk cutter 186. Each of thedisk cutters cone body 108 about a rotational axis thereof. In additional embodiments, theroller cone 177 may comprise more or fewer disk cutters. One or more of thedisk cutters cone body 108. Additionally, one or more of thedisk cutters cone body 108 or formed separately from thecone body 108 and attached thereto. - One example of an embodiment of a method of the present invention that may be used to form a cone, such as the
roller cone 177 shown inFIG. 12 , is described below with reference toFIG. 13 . As shown inFIG. 13 , acone body 108 may be shaped (e.g., machined) to form anintermediate cone structure 178 comprising anintegral disk cutter 183, anotherintegral disk cutter 184, and a gap orrecess 132 between theintegral disk cutter 183 and theintegral disk cutter 184. - A layer of
hardfacing material 120 may be applied to theintegral disk cutter 183 and theintegral disk cutter 184 using techniques known in the art as previously described. After applyinghardfacing material 120 to theintegral disk cutter 183 and theintegral disk cutter 184, thenon-integral disk cutter 186 may be formed directly on thecone body 108, or thenon-integral disk cutter 186 may be separately formed from thecone body 108 and subsequently attached thereto to form theroller cone 177 shown inFIG. 12 . - The
non-integral disk cutter 186 may be provided on thecone body 108 in the at least onegap 132 by, for example, depositinghardfacing material 120 over a surface of thecone body 108 in the at least onegap 132 and forming the at least onenon-integral disk cutter 186 from thehardfacing material 120. -
FIG. 14 is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of aroller cone 195 of the present invention. Theroller cone 195 is similar to theroller cone 177 shown inFIG. 12 and includes acone body 108, an outerintegral disk cutter 192, an innerintegral disk cutter 194, and an intermediatenon-integral disk cutter 196. In the embodiment ofFIG. 14 , however, thedisk cutters roller cone 195 shown inFIG. 14 may be formed using embodiments of methods of the present invention, as previously described herein. - While the present invention is described herein in relation to embodiments of earth-boring rotary drill bits that include rolling cutters and to embodiments of methods for forming such drill bits, the present invention also encompasses other types of earth-boring tools such as, for example, reamers, mills, and so-called “hybrid bits” that include both one or more roller cones and fixed cutters on blades or other supporting structures, as well as methods for forming such tools. Thus, as employed herein, the term “drill bit” includes and encompasses all of the foregoing earth-boring tools, as well as components and subcomponents of such structures.
- While the present invention has been described herein with respect to certain embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize and appreciate that it is not so limited. Rather, many additions, deletions and modifications to the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. In addition, features from one embodiment may be combined with features of another embodiment while still being encompassed within the scope of the invention as contemplated by the inventor.
Claims (27)
1. A method of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring rotary drill bit, comprising:
forming at least two integral teeth on a cone body with at least one gap therebetween; and
providing at least one non-integral tooth on the cone body in the at least one gap.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a hardfacing material to at least one surface of each tooth of the at least two integral teeth.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least two integral teeth on the cone body comprises:
forming a first row of integral teeth extending circumferentially about a rotational axis of the cone body; and
forming a second row of integral teeth extending circumferentially about a rotational axis of the cone body; and
wherein the at least one gap comprises at least one gap between a tooth of the first row of integral teeth and a tooth of the second row of integral teeth.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least two integral teeth on the cone body comprises forming at least one row of integral teeth extending circumferentially about a rotational axis of the cone body, and wherein the at least one gap between the at least two integral teeth comprises at least one gap between two teeth of the at least one row of integral teeth.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the at least one non-integral tooth on the cone body in the at least one gap comprises providing two or more non-integral teeth on the cone body in the at least one gap.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
marking an area on a surface of the cone body in the at least one gap; and
providing the at least one non-integral tooth on the marked area on the surface of the cone body in the at least one gap.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein marking an area on the surface of the cone body comprises forming a stub on the cone body in the at least one gap, and wherein forming the at least one non-integral tooth comprises forming the at least one non-integral tooth on the stub.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the at least one non-integral tooth on the cone body in the at least one gap comprises:
successively depositing multiple layers of hardfacing material over the cone body in the at least one gap; and
forming the at least one non-integral tooth from the multiple layers of hardfacing material.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising robotically manipulating the cone body while using a welding torch to deposit the multiple layers of hardfacing material.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
using the welding torch to generate a plasma-transferred arc; and
pulsing a current of the plasma-transferred arc as the welding torch is used to deposit the multiple layers of hardfacing material.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein successively depositing the multiple layers of hardfacing material comprises:
forming an interior region of the at least one non-integral tooth from a first hardfacing composition; and
forming an exterior region of the at least one non-integral tooth from a second hardfacing composition differing from the first hardfacing composition.
12. The method of claim 7 , further comprising removing at least a portion of the hardfacing material from the at least one non-integral tooth to provide the at least one non-integral tooth with a desired shape.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising placing a template over the at least one non-integral tooth and machining the at least one non-integral tooth to conform to the template.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing at least one non-integral tooth on the cone body in the at least one gap comprises:
forming the at least one non-integral tooth separately from the cone body; and
attaching the at least one non-integral tooth to the cone body.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein forming the at least one non-integral tooth comprises:
injecting a powder mixture comprising hard particles and particles of a metal-matrix material into a mold cavity to form a green body; and
sintering the green body to a desired final density to form the at least one non-integral tooth.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein attaching the at least one non-integral tooth to the cone body comprises bonding the at least one non-integral tooth to the cone body with a metallic material.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein bonding the at least one non-integral tooth to the cone body with the metallic material comprises:
providing the metallic material between the at least one non-integral tooth and the cone body; and
co-sintering the at least one non-integral tooth, the cone body, and the metallic material.
18. A method of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring rotary drill bit, comprising:
forming at least two integral disk cutters on a cone body to extend circumferentially on the cone body about a rotational axis of the cone body;
leaving at least one gap between the at least two integral disk cutters; and
providing at least one non-integral disk cutter on the cone body in the at least one gap.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein providing the at least one non-integral disk cutter on the cone body in the at least one gap comprises:
depositing hardfacing material over a surface of the cone body in the at least one gap; and
forming the at least one non-integral disk cutter from the hardfacing material.
20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising forming a serrated edge on the at least one non-integral disk cutter.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein building up the at least one non-integral tooth in the gap comprises successively depositing layers of the hardfacing material in the gap using a welding torch.
22. A method of forming a roller cone for an earth-boring rotary drill bit, comprising:
forming at least one integral disk cutter on a cone body to extend circumferentially on the cone body about a rotational axis of the cone body; and
providing at least one non-integral disk cutter on the cone body.
23. A method of forming an earth-boring bit, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of integral teeth on at least one cutter;
forming a gap between at least two adjacent integral teeth of the plurality of integral teeth;
applying a hardfacing layer to at least one surface on each of the at least two adjacent integral teeth of the plurality of integral teeth; and
depositing hardfacing material in the gap between the at least two adjacent integral teeth and building up at least one non-integral tooth in the gap using the deposited hardfacing material.
24. A method of forming an earth-boring bit, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of integral teeth on at least one cutter;
providing a gap between at least two adjacent integral teeth of the plurality of integral teeth;
applying a hardfacing layer to at least one surface on each of the at least two adjacent integral teeth of the plurality of integral teeth;
forming at least one non-integral tooth separately from the at least one cutter, comprising:
molding a green body comprising a plurality of hard particles and a plurality of particles comprising a metallic matrix material; and
sintering the green body to form the non-integral tooth; and
bonding the at least one non-integral tooth to the at least one cutter in the gap between the at least two adjacent integral teeth with a metallic binder material.
25. An earth-boring bit, comprising:
a body having at least one bit leg;
a roller cone mounted to the at least one bit leg and rotatable on the at least one bit leg about a rotational axis;
at least one integral tooth formed on a surface of the roller cone;
a hardfacing material deposited on at least one surface of the at least one integral tooth;
at least one non-integral tooth bonded to the surface of the roller cone adjacent to the at least one integral tooth, the at least one non-integral tooth comprising a particle-matrix composite material.
26. The earth-boring bit of claim 25 , wherein the at least one non-integral tooth comprises an interior region having a first hardfacing composition and an exterior region having a second hardfacing composition, the first hardfacing composition exhibiting a toughness greater than a toughness exhibited by the second hardfacing composition, and the second hardfacing composition exhibiting a wear resistance greater than a wear resistance exhibited by the first hardfacing composition.
27. The earth-boring bit of claim 25 , wherein the at least one non-integral tooth comprises multiple layers of hardfacing material.
Priority Applications (7)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/354,604 US20100175926A1 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2009-01-15 | Roller cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same |
PCT/US2010/020966 WO2010083265A2 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2010-01-14 | Roller cones having non integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same |
CA2749482A CA2749482A1 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2010-01-14 | Roller cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same |
RU2011133743/03A RU2011133743A (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2010-01-14 | CONIC PITCHES WITH EXECUTED SEPARATELY CUTTING STRUCTURES, DRILL BITS WITH SUCH PIPES AND METHODS FOR THEIR FORMING |
EP10732065A EP2376738A2 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2010-01-14 | Roller cones having non integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same |
BRPI1007049A BRPI1007049A2 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2010-01-14 | cylindrical cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming them |
MX2011007250A MX2011007250A (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2010-01-14 | Roller cones having non integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same. |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/354,604 US20100175926A1 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2009-01-15 | Roller cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20100175926A1 true US20100175926A1 (en) | 2010-07-15 |
Family
ID=42318244
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/354,604 Abandoned US20100175926A1 (en) | 2009-01-15 | 2009-01-15 | Roller cones having non-integral cutting structures, drill bits including such cones, and methods of forming same |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20100175926A1 (en) |
EP (1) | EP2376738A2 (en) |
BR (1) | BRPI1007049A2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2749482A1 (en) |
MX (1) | MX2011007250A (en) |
RU (1) | RU2011133743A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010083265A2 (en) |
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US20110168452A1 (en) * | 2008-08-14 | 2011-07-14 | Baker Hughes Incorporated | Tungsten Carbide Bit with Hardfaced Nose Area |
WO2012143174A1 (en) * | 2011-04-19 | 2012-10-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Drilling tool and method for producing a drilling tool |
WO2013068152A1 (en) * | 2011-11-07 | 2013-05-16 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Stone chisel, and method for producing a stone chisel |
US20140231398A1 (en) * | 2008-08-20 | 2014-08-21 | Foro Energy, Inc. | High power laser tunneling mining and construction equipment and methods of use |
US10370754B2 (en) * | 2013-05-30 | 2019-08-06 | Frank's International, Llc | Coating system for tubular gripping components |
US20200224499A1 (en) * | 2017-10-02 | 2020-07-16 | Kondex Corporation | Boring bit or other bit with hard face wear resistance material |
US10876196B2 (en) | 2013-05-30 | 2020-12-29 | Frank's International, Llc | Coating system for tubular gripping components |
CN114184502A (en) * | 2022-02-15 | 2022-03-15 | 西南石油大学 | PDC micro-drill bit, rock drillability testing device and method |
US11433468B2 (en) | 2016-09-30 | 2022-09-06 | General Electric Company | Electrode for an electro-erosion process and an associated method thereof |
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Cited By (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20110168452A1 (en) * | 2008-08-14 | 2011-07-14 | Baker Hughes Incorporated | Tungsten Carbide Bit with Hardfaced Nose Area |
US20140231398A1 (en) * | 2008-08-20 | 2014-08-21 | Foro Energy, Inc. | High power laser tunneling mining and construction equipment and methods of use |
US10195687B2 (en) * | 2008-08-20 | 2019-02-05 | Foro Energy, Inc. | High power laser tunneling mining and construction equipment and methods of use |
WO2012143174A1 (en) * | 2011-04-19 | 2012-10-26 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Drilling tool and method for producing a drilling tool |
CN103492140A (en) * | 2011-04-19 | 2014-01-01 | 罗伯特·博世有限公司 | Drilling tool and method for producing a drilling tool |
WO2013068152A1 (en) * | 2011-11-07 | 2013-05-16 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Stone chisel, and method for producing a stone chisel |
US10370754B2 (en) * | 2013-05-30 | 2019-08-06 | Frank's International, Llc | Coating system for tubular gripping components |
US10876196B2 (en) | 2013-05-30 | 2020-12-29 | Frank's International, Llc | Coating system for tubular gripping components |
US11433468B2 (en) | 2016-09-30 | 2022-09-06 | General Electric Company | Electrode for an electro-erosion process and an associated method thereof |
US20200224499A1 (en) * | 2017-10-02 | 2020-07-16 | Kondex Corporation | Boring bit or other bit with hard face wear resistance material |
CN114184502A (en) * | 2022-02-15 | 2022-03-15 | 西南石油大学 | PDC micro-drill bit, rock drillability testing device and method |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
MX2011007250A (en) | 2011-07-28 |
CA2749482A1 (en) | 2010-07-22 |
EP2376738A2 (en) | 2011-10-19 |
WO2010083265A2 (en) | 2010-07-22 |
WO2010083265A3 (en) | 2010-10-21 |
RU2011133743A (en) | 2013-02-20 |
BRPI1007049A2 (en) | 2016-02-10 |
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