U.S. patent application number 14/908071 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-22 for two-phase manufacture of metal matrix composites.
This patent application is currently assigned to Halliburton Energy Services , Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC.. Invention is credited to Grant O. Cook III.
Application Number | 20160369568 14/908071 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 56692339 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160369568 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Cook III; Grant O. |
December 22, 2016 |
TWO-PHASE MANUFACTURE OF METAL MATRIX COMPOSITES
Abstract
A method for fabricating a metal-matrix composite tool includes
positioning an inner mold within an outer mold and thereby defining
a gap between the inner and outer molds. A first reinforcement
material is then loaded into the gap, and the first reinforcement
material is infiltrated at a first temperature with a first binder
material and thereby forming an outer shell. The inner mold is then
removed and a second reinforcement material is loaded at least
partially into the outer shell and infiltrated at a second
temperature with a second binder material and thereby forming a
reinforced composite material. The second temperature is lower than
the first temperature and the second binder material is different
than the first binder material. The outer shell is attached to
exterior portions of the reinforced composite material.
Inventors: |
Cook III; Grant O.; (Spring,
TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HALLIBURTON ENERGY SERVICES, INC. |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Halliburton Energy Services ,
Inc.
Houston
TX
|
Family ID: |
56692339 |
Appl. No.: |
14/908071 |
Filed: |
February 19, 2015 |
PCT Filed: |
February 19, 2015 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2015/016476 |
371 Date: |
January 27, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C22C 1/1068 20130101;
B22D 41/08 20130101; C22C 29/14 20130101; C22C 2001/1047 20130101;
E21B 17/1078 20130101; C22C 29/005 20130101; E21B 7/12 20130101;
B22D 23/06 20130101; B22D 25/02 20130101; E21B 10/573 20130101;
C22C 29/16 20130101; E21B 10/08 20130101; E21B 10/32 20130101; C22C
29/12 20130101; B29C 70/021 20130101; E21B 47/12 20130101; C22C
29/02 20130101; C22C 2001/1073 20130101; B22D 19/06 20130101; E21B
7/06 20130101; B22F 2005/001 20130101; B22D 19/16 20130101; C22C
1/1036 20130101; E21B 10/28 20130101; E21B 49/06 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E21B 10/573 20060101
E21B010/573; B22D 25/02 20060101 B22D025/02; E21B 10/08 20060101
E21B010/08; E21B 7/12 20060101 E21B007/12; E21B 49/06 20060101
E21B049/06; E21B 10/28 20060101 E21B010/28; E21B 10/32 20060101
E21B010/32; E21B 7/06 20060101 E21B007/06; E21B 47/12 20060101
E21B047/12; B22D 19/06 20060101 B22D019/06; E21B 17/10 20060101
E21B017/10 |
Claims
1. A method for fabricating a metal-matrix composite (MMC) tool,
comprising: positioning an inner mold within an outer mold and
thereby defining a gap between the inner and outer molds; loading a
first reinforcement material into the gap; infiltrating the first
reinforcement material at a first temperature with a first binder
material and thereby forming an outer shell; loading a second
reinforcement material at least partially into the outer shell; and
infiltrating the second reinforcement material at a second
temperature with a second binder material and thereby forming a
reinforced composite material, wherein the second temperature is
lower than the first temperature and the second binder material is
different from the first binder material, and wherein the outer
shell is attached to exterior portions of the reinforced composite
material.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising varying a thickness of
the gap and thereby varying a thickness of the outer shell at
select regions.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the inner mold within
the outer mold further comprises positioning one or more
displacements within the outer mold to form one or more features
while infiltrating the first reinforcement material at the first
temperature.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the second reinforcement
material at least partially into the outer shell is preceded by
positioning one or more displacements within the outer shell to
form one or more features while infiltrating the second
reinforcement material at the second temperature.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the outer mold is a first outer
mold and wherein loading the second reinforcement material at least
partially into the outer shell is preceded by: removing the outer
shell from the first outer mold; and positioning the outer shell in
a second outer mold.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second outer mold defines a
plurality of cavities and a corresponding plurality of cutting
elements are disposed in the plurality of cavities and alignable
with a plurality of pockets defined in an outer surface of the
outer shell, and wherein infiltrating the second reinforcement
material at the second temperature further comprises attaching the
plurality of cutting elements to the plurality of pockets.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein an attachment material is
disposed in the plurality of cavities with the plurality of cutting
elements, and wherein attaching the plurality of cutting elements
to the plurality of pockets comprises brazing the plurality of
cutting elements to the plurality of pockets with the attachment
material.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the second reinforcement
material at least partially into the outer shell is preceded by
depositing a material coating on at least a portion of an inner
surface of the outer shell.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein loading the second reinforcement
material at least partially into the outer shell is preceded by
forming one or more surface features on at least a portion of an
inner surface of the outer shell.
10. A metal-matrix composite (MMC) tool, comprising: a reinforced
composite material forming a core of the MMC tool and having an
exterior; and an outer shell attached to at least a portion of the
exterior and being harder than the reinforced composite material,
wherein the outer shell is formed during a first infiltration step
where a first binder material infiltrates a first reinforcement
material at a first temperature, the first reinforcement material
being loaded into a gap defined between an inner mold and an outer
mold, wherein the reinforced composite portion is formed after the
outer shell and during a second infiltration step where a second
binder material infiltrates a second reinforcement material at a
second temperature, the second reinforcement material being loaded
at least partially into the outer shell, and wherein the second
temperature is lower than the first temperature and the second
binder material is different from the first binder material.
11. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the MMC tool is a tool
selected from the group consisting of an oilfield drill bit or
cutting tool, a non-retrievable drilling component, an aluminum
drill bit body associated with casing drilling of wellbores, a
drill-string stabilizer, a cone for roller-cone drill bits, a model
for forging dies used to fabricate support arms for roller-cone
drill bits, an arm for fixed reamers, an arm for expandable
reamers, an internal component associated with expandable reamers,
a sleeve attachable to an uphole end of a rotary drill bit, a
rotary steering tool, a logging-while-drilling tool, a
measurement-while-drilling tool, a side-wall coring tool, a fishing
spear, a washover tool, a rotor, a stator and/or housing for
downhole drilling motors, blades for downhole turbines, armor
plating, an automotive component, a bicycle frame, a brake fin, an
aerospace component, a turbopump component, and any combination
thereof.
12. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the first and second binder
materials comprise a material selected from the group consisting of
copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, molybdenum, chromium,
manganese, tin, zinc, lead, silicon, tungsten, boron, phosphorous,
gold, silver, palladium, indium, any mixture thereof, any alloy
thereof, and any combination thereof.
13. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the first and second
reinforcement materials comprise reinforcing particles selected
from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, a superalloy,
an intermetallic, a boride, a carbide, a nitride, an oxide, a
ceramic, a diamond, and any combination thereof.
14. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein a thickness of the outer
shell varies.
15. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the outer mold is a first
outer mold and the outer shell is positioned in a second outer mold
for the second infiltration step.
16. The MMC tool of claim 15, wherein the second outer mold defines
a plurality of cavities and a corresponding plurality of cutting
elements and attachment material are disposable in the plurality of
cavities and alignable with a plurality of pockets defined in an
outer surface of the outer shell, and wherein the plurality of
cutting elements are attached to the plurality of pockets during
the second infiltration step.
17. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein a material coating is applied
to at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer shell prior
to loading the second reinforcement material at least partially
into the outer shell.
18. The MMC tool of claim 17, wherein the material coating
comprises a material selected from the group consisting of a
transition metal, a post-transition metal, a semi-metal, an
alkaline-earth metal, a lanthanide, a non-metal, and any alloy
thereof.
19. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the MMC tool is a drill bit
that defines one or more flow passageways and a fluid cavity, and
wherein the outer shell extends along at least a portion of one or
both of the one or more flow passageways and the fluid cavity.
20. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the outer shell has an inner
surface attached to the portion of the exterior of the reinforced
composite material, and wherein the inner surface defines one or
more surface features.
21. The MMC tool of claim 10, wherein the MMC tool is a drill bit
that provides a plurality of cutter blades, and wherein the outer
shell comprises a plurality of component parts each positioned at a
corresponding cutter blade.
22. A drilling assembly, comprising: a drill bit attached to an end
of a drill string; and a pump fluidly connected to the drill string
and configured to circulate a drilling fluid to the drill bit and
through the wellbore, wherein the drill bit comprises: a reinforced
composite material forming a core of the drill bit and having an
exterior; and an outer shell attached to at least a portion of the
exterior and being harder than the reinforced composite material,
wherein the outer shell is formed during a first infiltration step
where a first binder material infiltrates a first reinforcement
material at a first temperature, the first reinforcement material
being loaded into a gap defined between an inner mold and an outer
mold, wherein the reinforced composite portion is formed after the
outer shell and during a second infiltration step where a second
binder material infiltrates a second reinforcement material at a
second temperature, the second reinforcement material being loaded
at least partially into the outer shell, and wherein the second
temperature is lower than the first temperature and the second
binder material is different from the first binder material.
23. The drilling assembly of claim 22, wherein a thickness of the
outer shell varies.
24. The drilling assembly of claim 22, wherein the outer mold is a
first outer mold and the outer shell is positioned in a second
outer mold for the second infiltration step, wherein the second
outer mold defines a plurality of cavities and a corresponding
plurality of cutting elements and attachment material are
disposable in the plurality of cavities and alignable with a
plurality of pockets defined in an outer surface of the outer
shell, and wherein the plurality of cutting elements are attached
to the plurality of pockets during the second infiltration
step.
25. The drilling assembly of claim 22, wherein a material coating
is applied to at least a portion of an inner surface of the outer
shell prior to loading the second reinforcement material at least
partially into the outer shell.
26. The drilling assembly of claim 22, wherein the drill bit
defines one or more flow passageways and a fluid cavity, and
wherein the outer shell extends along at least a portion of one or
both of the one or more flow passageways and the fluid cavity.
27. The drilling assembly of claim 22, wherein the drilling
assembly is used in an offshore drilling system.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] A wide variety of tools are commonly used in the oil and gas
industry for forming wellbores, in completing drilled wellbores,
and in producing hydrocarbons such as oil and gas from completed
wells. Examples of such tools include cutting tools, such as drill
bits, reamers, stabilizers, and coring bits; drilling tools, such
as rotary steerable devices and mud motors; and other downhole
tools, such as window mills, packers, tool joints, and other
wear-prone tools. These tools, and several other types of tools
used in applications outside the oil and gas industry, are often
formed as metal-matrix composites (MMCs), and referred to herein as
"MMC tools."
[0002] An MMC tool is typically manufactured by placing loose
powder reinforcing material into a mold and infiltrating the powder
material with a binder material, such as a metallic alloy. The
various features of the resulting MMC tool may be provided by
shaping the mold cavity and/or by positioning temporary
displacement materials within select interior portions of the mold
cavity. A quantity of the reinforcement material may then be placed
within the mold cavity with a quantity of the binder material. The
mold is then placed within a furnace and the temperature of the
mold is increased to a desired temperature to allow the binder
material to liquefy and infiltrate the matrix reinforcement
material.
[0003] MMC drill bits used in the oil and gas industry are
generally required to be erosion-resistant and exhibit high impact
strength for long-term operation. The outer surfaces of a given MMC
drill bit, for example, are commonly required to resist extreme
impact loading, abrasion, and erosion, while it is desired that the
central portions of the given MMC drill bit may be more ductile to
prevent crack propagation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The following figures are included to illustrate certain
aspects of the present disclosure, and should not be viewed as
exclusive embodiments. The subject matter disclosed is capable of
considerable modifications, alterations, combinations, and
equivalents in form and function, without departing from the scope
of this disclosure.
[0005] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary drill bit that
may be fabricated in accordance with the principles of the present
disclosure.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the drill bit of FIG.
1.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a mold assembly
that may be used to fabricate the drill bit of FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0008] FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional side views of an
exemplary mold assembly that may be used to form an MMC tool.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a mold assembly and
an outer shell produced during a first infiltration step.
[0010] FIG. 5A is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary MMC
drill bit fabricated through first and second infiltration
steps.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a top view of an exemplary MMC drill bit.
[0012] FIGS. 6A-6F are partial cross-sectional side views of the
MMC drill bit of FIG. 6.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a top view of an additional embodiment of the MMC
drill bit of FIG. 6.
[0014] FIGS. 7A-7F are partial cross-sectional side views of the
additional embodiment of the MMC drill bit of FIG. 7.
[0015] FIG. 8 is a top view of an additional embodiment of the MMC
drill bit of FIG. 6.
[0016] FIGS. 8A-8F are partial cross-sectional side views of the
additional embodiment of the MMC drill bit of FIG. 8.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a top view of an additional embodiment of the MMC
drill bit of FIG. 6.
[0018] FIGS. 9A-9F are partial cross-sectional side views of the
additional embodiment of the MMC drill bit of FIG. 9.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of a mold assembly
and an outer shell produced during a first infiltration step.
[0020] FIG. 11 is an exemplary drilling system that may employ one
or more principles of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The present disclosure is related to metal-matrix composite
tools and, more particularly, to metal-matrix composite tools
composed macroscopically of at least two different material
compositions and methods of fabricating the same.
[0022] Embodiments described herein provide a manufacturing method
that is capable of producing an infiltrated metal-matrix composite
(MMC) tool composed macroscopically of two different material
compositions. These different compositions can produce different
properties in at least two different regions of the MMC tool. For
example, higher stiffness, ultimate tensile strength, melting
temperature, etc. can be produced along the exterior of the MMC
tool with differing properties (e.g., higher toughness, lower
melting temperature, etc.) within the interior of the MMC tool.
Briefly, the MMC tool may be formed via a first infiltration step
followed by a second infiltration step. In the first infiltration
step, an outer shell for the MMC tool may be formed, and the second
infiltration step may result in the formation of a reinforced
composite material forming the core of the MMC tool. The outer
shell may be attached to exterior portions of the interior
reinforced composite material during the second infiltration step.
In some embodiments, the second infiltration step may be carried
out at a lower temperature than the first infiltration step that
allows for simultaneous joining of cutters to the already-formed
higher-melting-temperature surfaces of the outer shell.
[0023] The embodiments of the present disclosure are applicable to
any tool or device formed as a metal matrix composite (MMC). Such
tools or devices are referred to herein as "MMC tools" and may or
may not be used in the oil and gas industry. For purposes of
explanation and description only, however, the following
description is related to MMC tools used in the oil and gas
industry, such as drill bits, but it will be appreciated that the
principles of the present disclosure are equally applicable to any
type of MMC used in any industry or field, such as armor plating,
automotive components (e.g., sleeves, cylinder liners, driveshafts,
exhaust valves, brake rotors), bicycle frames, brake fins,
aerospace components (e.g., landing-gear components, structural
tubes, struts, shafts, links, ducts, waveguides, guide vanes,
rotor-blade sleeves, ventral fins, actuators, exhaust structures,
cases, frames), and turbopump components, without departing from
the scope of the disclosure.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 1, illustrated is a perspective view of an
example MMC drill bit 100 that may be fabricated in accordance with
the principles of the present disclosure. While discussed herein
with reference to the MMC drill bit 100, it will be appreciated
that principles of the present disclosure may equally be applied to
other MMC downhole tools including, but not limited to, oilfield
drill bits or cutting tools (e.g., fixed-angle drill bits,
roller-cone drill bits, coring drill bits, bi-center drill bits,
impregnated drill bits, reamers, stabilizers, hole openers,
cutters), non-retrievable drilling components, aluminum drill bit
bodies associated with casing drilling of wellbores, drill-string
stabilizers, cones for roller-cone drill bits, models for forging
dies used to fabricate support arms for roller-cone drill bits,
arms for fixed reamers, arms for expandable reamers, internal
components associated with expandable reamers, sleeves attached to
an uphole end of a rotary drill bit, rotary steering tools,
logging-while-drilling tools, measurement-while-drilling tools,
side-wall coring tools, fishing spears, washover tools, rotors,
stators and/or housings for downhole drilling motors, blades and
housings for downhole turbines, and other downhole tools having
complex configurations and/or asymmetric geometries associated with
forming a wellbore. Other applications of the disclosed methods and
processes herein may be evident to one skilled in the art with the
benefit of this disclosure.
[0025] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the MMC drill bit 100 may include
or otherwise define a plurality of cutter blades 102 arranged along
the circumference of a bit head 104. The bit head 104 is connected
to a shank 106 to form a bit body 108. The shank 106 may be
connected to the bit head 104 by welding, such as using laser arc
welding that results in the formation of a weld 110 around a weld
groove 112. The shank 106 may further include or otherwise be
connected to a threaded pin 114, such as an American Petroleum
Institute (API) drill pipe thread.
[0026] In the depicted example, the MMC drill bit 100 includes five
cutter blades 102 in which multiple recesses or pockets 116 are
formed. Cutting elements 118 may be fixedly installed within each
pocket 116. This can be done, for example, by brazing each cutting
element 118 into a corresponding pocket 116. As the MMC drill bit
100 is rotated in use to drill a wellbore, the cutting elements 118
engage rock and underlying earthen materials, to dig, scrape or
grind away the material of the formation being penetrated.
[0027] During drilling operations, drilling fluid or "mud" can be
pumped downhole through a drill string (not shown) coupled to the
MMC drill bit 100 at the threaded pin 114. The drilling fluid
circulates through and out of the MMC drill bit 100 at one or more
nozzles 120 positioned in nozzle openings 122 defined in the bit
head 104. Junk slots 124 are formed between each adjacent pair of
cutter blades 102. Cuttings, downhole debris, formation fluids,
drilling fluid, etc., may pass through the junk slots 124 and
circulate back to the well surface within an annulus formed between
exterior portions of the drill string and the inner wall of the
wellbore being drilled.
[0028] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the MMC drill bit
100 of FIG. 1. Similar numerals from FIG. 1 that are used in FIG. 2
refer to similar components that are not described again. As
illustrated, the shank 106 may be securely attached to a metal
blank or mandrel 202 at the weld 110 and the mandrel 202 extends
into the bit body 108. The shank 106 and the mandrel 202 are
generally cylindrical structures that define corresponding fluid
cavities 204a and 204b, respectively, in fluid communication with
each other. The fluid cavity 204b of the mandrel 202 may further
extend longitudinally into the bit body 108. At least one flow
passageway 206 (one shown) may extend from the fluid cavity 204b to
exterior portions of the bit body 108. The nozzle openings 122 (one
shown in FIG. 2) may be defined at the ends of the flow passageways
206 at the exterior portions of the bit body 108. The pockets 116
are formed in the bit body 108 and are shaped or otherwise
configured to subsequently receive the cutting elements 118 (FIG.
1). The bit body 108 may comprise a reinforced composite material
208.
[0029] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of a mold assembly 300
that may be used to form the MMC drill bit 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. As
illustrated, the mold assembly 300 may include several components
such as a mold 302, a gauge ring 304, and a funnel 306. In some
embodiments, the funnel 306 may be operatively coupled to the mold
302 via the gauge ring 304, such as by corresponding threaded
engagements, as illustrated. In other embodiments, the gauge ring
304 may be omitted from the mold assembly 300 and the funnel 306
may instead be directly coupled to the mold 302, such as via a
corresponding threaded engagement, without departing from the scope
of the disclosure.
[0030] In some embodiments, as illustrated, the mold assembly 300
may further include a binder bowl 308 and a cap 310 placed above
the funnel 306. The mold 302, the gauge ring 304, the funnel 306,
the binder bowl 308, and the cap 310 may each be made of or
otherwise comprise graphite or alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), for
example, or other suitable materials. An infiltration chamber 312
may be defined or otherwise provided within the mold assembly 300.
Various techniques may be used to manufacture the mold assembly 300
and its components including, but not limited to, machining
graphite blanks to produce the various components and thereby
define the infiltration chamber 312 to exhibit a negative or
reverse profile of desired exterior features of the MMC drill bit
100 (FIGS. 1 and 2).
[0031] Displacement materials, such as consolidated sand or
graphite, may be positioned within the mold assembly 300 at desired
locations to form various features of the MMC drill bit 100 (FIGS.
1 and 2). For example, one or more consolidated legs 314 (one
shown) may be positioned to correspond with desired locations and
configurations of the flow passageways 206 (FIG. 2) and their
respective nozzle openings 122 (FIGS. 1 and 2). A
cylindrically-shaped central displacement 316 may be placed on the
legs 314. As will be appreciated, the number of legs 314 extending
from the central displacement 316 will depend upon the desired
number of flow passageways and corresponding nozzle openings 122 in
the MMC drill bit 100. Moreover, one or more junk slot
displacements 315 may also be positioned within the mold assembly
300 to correspond with the junk slots 124 (FIG. 1). Further,
cutter-pocket displacements (shown as part of mold 302 in FIG. 3)
may be placed in the mold 302 to form cutter pockets 116.
[0032] After the desired displacement materials (e.g., the central
displacement 316, the legs 314, the junk-slot displacement 315,
etc.) are placed within the mold assembly 300, reinforcement
materials 318 may then be placed within or otherwise introduced
into the mold assembly 300. The reinforcement materials 318 may
include, for example, various types of reinforcing particles.
Suitable reinforcing particles include, but are not limited to,
particles of metals, metal alloys, superalloys, intermetallics,
borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides, ceramics, diamonds, and the
like, or any combination thereof.
[0033] Examples of suitable reinforcing particles include, but are
not limited to, tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, rhenium,
iridium, ruthenium, beryllium, titanium, chromium, rhodium, iron,
cobalt, uranium, nickel, nitrides, silicon nitrides, boron
nitrides, cubic boron nitrides, natural diamonds, synthetic
diamonds, cemented carbide, spherical carbides, low-alloy sintered
materials, cast carbides, silicon carbides, boron carbides, cubic
boron carbides, molybdenum carbides, titanium carbides, tantalum
carbides, niobium carbides, chromium carbides, vanadium carbides,
iron carbides, tungsten carbides, macrocrystalline tungsten
carbides, cast tungsten carbides, crushed sintered tungsten
carbides, carburized tungsten carbides, steels, stainless steels,
austenitic steels, ferritic steels, martensitic steels,
precipitation-hardening steels, duplex stainless steels, ceramics,
iron alloys, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys, chromium alloys,
HASTELLOY.RTM. alloys (i.e., nickel-chromium containing alloys,
available from Haynes International), INCONEL.RTM. alloys (i.e.,
austenitic nickel-chromium containing superalloys available from
Special Metals Corporation), WASPALOYS.RTM. (i.e., austenitic
nickel-based superalloys), RENE.RTM. alloys (i.e., nickel-chromium
containing alloys available from Altemp Alloys, Inc.), HAYNES.RTM.
alloys (i.e., nickel-chromium containing superalloys available from
Haynes International), INCOLOY.RTM. alloys (i.e., iron-nickel
containing superalloys available from Mega Mex), MP98T (i.e., a
nickel-copper-chromium superalloy available from SPS Technologies),
TMS alloys, CMSX.RTM. alloys (i.e., nickel-based superalloys
available from C-M Group), cobalt alloy 6B (i.e., cobalt-based
superalloy available from HPA), N-155 alloys, any mixture thereof,
any derivative thereof, and any combination thereof. In some
embodiments, the reinforcing particles may be coated, such as
diamond coated with titanium.
[0034] The mandrel 202 may be supported at least partially by the
reinforcement materials 318 within the infiltration chamber 312.
More particularly, after a sufficient volume of the reinforcement
materials 318 has been added to the mold assembly 300, the mandrel
202 may then be placed within the mold assembly 300. The mandrel
202 may include an inside diameter 320 that is greater than an
outside diameter 322 of the central displacement 316, and various
fixtures (not expressly shown) may be used to position the mandrel
202 within the mold assembly 300 at a precise alignment location.
The reinforcement materials 318 may then be filled to a desired
level within the infiltration chamber 312.
[0035] Binder material 324 may then be placed on top of the
reinforcement materials 318, the mandrel 202, and the central
displacement 316. Suitable binder materials 324 include, but are
not limited to, copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, molybdenum,
chromium, manganese, tin, zinc, lead, silicon, tungsten, boron,
phosphorous, gold, silver, palladium, indium, any mixture thereof,
any alloy thereof, and any combination thereof. Non-limiting
examples of alloys of the binder material 324 may include
copper-phosphorus, copper-phosphorous-silver,
copper-manganese-phosphorous, copper-nickel,
copper-manganese-nickel, copper-manganese-zinc,
copper-manganese-nickel-zinc, copper-nickel-indium,
copper-tin-manganese-nickel, copper-tin-manganese-nickel-iron,
gold-nickel, gold-palladium-nickel, gold-copper-nickel,
silver-copper-zinc-nickel, silver-manganese,
silver-copper-zinc-cadmium, silver-copper-tin,
cobalt-silicon-chromium-nickel-tungsten,
cobalt-silicon-chromium-nickel-tungsten-boron,
manganese-nickel-cobalt-boron, nickel-silicon-chromium,
nickel-chromium-silicon-manganese, nickel-chromium-silicon,
nickel-silicon-boron, nickel-silicon-chromium-boron-iron,
nickel-phosphorus, nickel-manganese, copper-aluminum,
copper-aluminum-nickel, copper-aluminum-nickel-iron,
copper-aluminum-nickel-zinc-tin-iron, and the like, and any
combination thereof. Examples of commercially-available binder
materials 324 include, but are not limited to, VIRGIN.TM. Binder
453D (copper-manganese-nickel-zinc, available from Belmont Metals,
Inc.), and copper-tin-manganese-nickel and
copper-tin-manganese-nickel-iron grades 516, 519, 523, 512, 518,
and 520 available from ATI Firth Sterling; and any combination
thereof.
[0036] In some embodiments, the binder material 324 may be covered
with a flux layer (not expressly shown). The amount of binder
material 324 (and optional flux material) added to the infiltration
chamber 312 should be at least enough to infiltrate the
reinforcement materials 318 during the infiltration process. In
some instances, some or all of the binder material 324 may be
placed in the binder bowl 308, which may be used to distribute the
binder material 324 into the infiltration chamber 312 via various
conduits 326 that extend therethrough. The cap 310 (if used) may
then be placed over the mold assembly 300. The mold assembly 300
and the materials disposed therein may then be preheated and
subsequently placed in a furnace (not shown). When the furnace
temperature reaches the melting point of the binder material 324,
the binder material 324 will liquefy and proceed to infiltrate the
reinforcement materials 318.
[0037] After a predetermined amount of time allotted for the
liquefied binder material 324 to infiltrate the reinforcement
materials 318, the mold assembly 300 may then be removed from the
furnace and cooled at a controlled rate. Once cooled, the mold
assembly 300 may be broken away to expose the bit body 108 (FIGS. 1
and 2). Subsequent machining and post-processing according to
well-known techniques may then be used to finish the MMC drill bit
100 (FIG. 1).
[0038] According to embodiments of the present disclosure, the MMC
drill bit 100, or any of the MMC tools mentioned herein, may be
fabricated using two separate or discrete infiltration steps and
thereby resulting in an MMC tool composed macroscopically of two
different material compositions. These different material
compositions can produce and otherwise provide different mechanical
properties in at least two different regions of a given MMC tool.
For example, a first infiltration step may provide the given MMC
tool higher stiffness, higher ultimate tensile strength, and higher
melting temperatures along the exterior or outer portions of the
MMC tool. A second infiltration step may form the central portions
of the MMC tool with materials exhibiting increased toughness,
ductility, and a lower melting temperature. In some embodiments,
the second infiltration step may be carried out at a lower
temperature, which may allow for simultaneous joining or brazing of
cutters (e.g., the cutting elements 118 of FIG. 1) to the cutter
pockets 116 (FIGS. 1 and 2) formed during the first infiltration
process.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, with continued reference to
FIG. 3, illustrated are cross-sectional side views of a portion of
an exemplary mold assembly 400 that may be used to form an MMC
tool, according to one or more embodiments. FIG. 4A depicts a first
mold assembly 400a and FIG. 4B depicts a second mold assembly 400b.
The mold assemblies 400a,b may be similar in some respects to the
mold assembly 300 of FIG. 3 and therefore will be best understood
with reference thereto, where like numerals represent like elements
not described again. Similar to the mold assembly 300, the mold
assemblies 400a,b may each be used to form and otherwise fabricate
an MMC drill bit, similar in some respects to the MMC drill bit 100
of FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be appreciated, however, that variations
of the mold assemblies 400a,b may alternatively be incorporated to
form and otherwise fabricate any of the MMC tools mentioned herein
using the principles discussed below.
[0040] Each mold assembly 400a,b may include an outer mold 402 and
an inner mold 404. While not specifically illustrated, in some
embodiments, the outer mold 402 may comprise component parts
similar to the mold assembly 300 of FIG. 3, such as the mold 302,
the gauge ring 304, the funnel 306, etc. In the illustrated
embodiment, however, the outer mold 402 is depicted as a solid
monolithic mold component. Nonetheless, it will be appreciated that
the outer mold 402 may alternatively be made of multiple component
parts, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
Moreover, similar to the mold assembly 300, the outer and inner
molds 402, 404 may each be made of or otherwise comprise graphite,
alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), or another suitable material.
[0041] The outer mold 402 may generally define the infiltration
chamber 312 and the inner mold 404 may be disposable within the
infiltration chamber 312 such that a gap 406 is defined between an
inner surface 408a of the outer mold 402 and an outer surface 408b
of the inner mold 404. In some embodiments, for instance, one or
more standoffs or spacers (not shown) may extend between the outer
and inner molds 402, 404 to hold or maintain the inner mold 404
offset from the outer mold 402 and thereby generate the gap 406. In
such embodiments, the spacers may or may not be dissolvable during
the infiltration steps discussed below. In other embodiments, the
gap 406 may be formed by coupling the inner mold 404 to a centering
fixture (not shown) that precisely aligns the inner mold 404 within
the outer mold 402.
[0042] The gap 406 may exhibit a predetermined depth or thickness
410 that corresponds to a desired thickness of an outer shell to be
formed via a first infiltration process or step. As described
below, the outer shell may form and otherwise provide all or a
portion of the bottom and side surfaces of the MMC tool being
fabricated. The thickness 410 may vary at select locations of the
gap 406, depending on the application and/or the particular
material used to fabricate the outer shell. In some embodiments,
for instance, the thickness 410 may vary across selective portions
or locations along the gap 406 to coincide with selective regions
of the bottom and side surfaces of the MMC tool.
[0043] In some embodiments, one or both of the outer and inner
molds 402, 404 may provide and otherwise define various features or
designs to be molded in the outer shell. For instance, in
embodiments where the mold assemblies 400a,b are configured to
fabricate an MMC drill bit, the outer mold 402 may define a
plurality of protrusions 412 on the inner surface 408a to
correspond with the recesses or pockets 116 (FIGS. 1 and 2) formed
on the outer surface of an MMC drill bit. Moreover, in some
embodiments, the outer surface 408b of the inner mold 404 may vary
and otherwise define macroscopic undulations, crenellations, steps,
waves, dimples, recesses, protrusions, nubs, fins, threads, miters,
dovetails, knurling, or any type of protrusion and/or recess, as
discussed in more detail below. In other embodiments, however, the
outer surface 408b of the inner mold 404 may be generally smooth,
as illustrated.
[0044] Referring specifically to the mold assembly 400b of FIG. 4B,
in one or more embodiments, the inner mold 404 may accommodate
various displacement materials that may be placed within the
infiltration chamber 312 at desired locations to form various
features of the MMC tool. In such embodiments, the inner mold 404
may comprise two or more component parts, or may alternatively
comprise a monolithic part machined to accommodate the desired
displacement materials. In embodiments where the mold assembly 400b
is configured to fabricate an MMC drill bit, the consolidated legs
314 (one shown) and the central displacement 316 may be positioned
to correspond with the flow passageways 206 (FIG. 2) and the fluid
cavity 204b (FIG. 2), respectively. In other embodiments, however,
the legs 314 and the central displacement 316 may be omitted for
the first infiltration step, as in the mold assembly 400a, and
otherwise positioned in the infiltration chamber 312 during the
second infiltration step.
[0045] Once the inner mold 404 is suitably arranged within the
outer mold 402, and the displacement materials (if used) are placed
within the infiltration chamber 312 at desired locations, a first
reinforcement material 414 may be loaded into the gap 406. During a
first infiltration step, the first reinforcement material 414 may
be infiltrated with a first binder material (not shown), which may
comprise similar materials as the binder material 324 of FIG. 3.
The amount of the first binder material used in the assemblies
400a,b should be at least enough to infiltrate the first
reinforcement material 414.
[0046] The first reinforcement material 414 may comprise
reinforcing particles similar to those listed above for the
reinforcement materials 318. In some embodiments, the first
reinforcement material 414 may comprise reinforcing particles that,
upon being infiltrated by the first binder material, may result in
an outer shell exhibiting optimized mechanical properties such as,
but not limited to, wear resistance, erosion resistance, abrasion
resistance, increased stiffness (elastic modulus), hardness (i.e.,
resistance to plastic deformation), yield strength, ultimate
tensile strength, fatigue life, lubricity (i.e., reduced friction),
hydrophobicity, anti-balling characteristics, surface roughness,
and surface energy. Suitable reinforcing particles for the first
reinforcement material 414 may include, but are not limited to,
particles of metals, metal alloys, superalloys, intermetallics,
borides, carbides, nitrides, oxides, ceramics, diamonds, and the
like, or any combination thereof. In at least one embodiment, the
first reinforcement material 414 may comprise a carbide powder
(e.g., tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum carbide, etc.)
and the first binder material may comprise a copper or nickel
alloy. In such embodiments, the first infiltration process may
result in an outer shell that is stiff or hard.
[0047] Suitable metals that may be used as the reinforcing
particles of the first reinforcement material 414 include, but are
not limited to, transition metals (e.g., iridium, rhenium,
ruthenium, tungsten, molybdenum, hafnium, chromium, manganese,
rhodium, iron, cobalt, titanium, niobium, osmium, palladium,
platinum, zirconium, nickel, copper, scandium, tantalum, vanadium,
yttrium), post-transition metals (e.g., aluminum and tin),
semi-metals (e.g., boron and silicon), alkaline-earth metals (e.g.,
beryllium and magnesium), lanthanides (e.g., lanthanum and
ytterbium), non-metals (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen), any
alloy thereof, and the like.
[0048] Suitable metal alloys that may be used as the reinforcing
particles of the first reinforcement material 414 include alloys
that contain chromium, carbon, molybdenum, manganese, nickel,
cobalt, tungsten, niobium, tantalum, vanadium, silicon, copper, and
iron, which may produce a wear-resistant, erosion-resistant,
abrasion-resistant, or hard outer shell. Using iridium, rhenium,
ruthenium, tungsten, molybdenum, beryllium, chromium, rhodium,
iron, cobalt, nickel, and alloys thereof may prove advantageous
since such metals exhibit a relatively high modulus of elasticity,
and may therefore produce a stiff, outer shell. For example,
alloying nickel with vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, tantalum,
tungsten, rhenium, osmium, or iridium increases the elastic modulus
of the resulting alloy.
[0049] The formation of ceramic materials (e.g., carbides, borides,
nitrides, and oxides) in the outer shell may produce beneficial
changes in any of the desired properties mentioned above. The
in-situ formation of carbides, borides, nitrides, and oxides may be
achieved by including carbon, boron, nitrogen, and oxygen in the
first binder material or the reinforcing particles. In particular,
carbides may be formed by using molybdenum, tungsten, chromium,
titanium, niobium, vanadium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium,
manganese, iron, nickel, boron, and silicon in the first binder
material or the reinforcing particles of the first reinforcement
material 414. Borides may be formed by using titanium, zirconium,
hafnium, vanadium, niobium, tantalum, chromium, molybdenum,
tungsten, iron, cobalt, nickel, and lanthanum in the first binder
material or the reinforcing particles of the first reinforcement
material 414. Nitrides may be formed by using boron, silicon,
aluminum, iron, nickel, scandium, yttrium, titanium, vanadium,
chromium, zirconium, molybdenum, tungsten, tantalum, hafnium,
manganese, and niobium in the first binder material or the
reinforcing particles of the first reinforcement material 414.
Oxides may be formed by using silicon, aluminum, yttrium,
zirconium, and titanium in the first binder material or the
reinforcing particles of the first reinforcement material 414.
[0050] Intermetallics may also prove advantageous since the
formation of such materials in the outer shell may produce
beneficial changes in any of the desired properties mentioned
above. Suitable intermetallics that may be used as the reinforcing
particles of the first reinforcement material 414 include both
stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric phases that are formed
between two metallic elements. Examples of elements that form
refractory aluminum-based intermetallics include boron, carbon,
cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, hafnium, iridium, manganese,
molybdenum, niobium, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhenium,
ruthenium, scandium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, and
zirconium. Other examples of refractory intermetallic systems
include silver-titanium, silver-zirconium, gold-hafnium,
gold-manganese, gold-niobium, gold-scandium, gold-tantalum,
gold-titanium, gold-thulium, gold-vanadium, gold-zirconium,
boron-chromium, boron-manganese, boron-molybdenum, boron-niobium,
boron-neodymium, boron-ruthenium, boron-silicon, boron-titanium,
boron-vanadium, boron-tungsten, boron-yttrium, beryllium-copper,
beryllium-iron, beryllium-niobium, beryllium-nickel,
beryllium-palladium, beryllium-titanium, beryllium-vanadium,
beryllium-tungsten, beryllium-zirconium, any combination thereof,
and the like.
[0051] To facilitate the first infiltration process or step, the
mold assemblies 400a,b and their contents may be preheated and
subsequently placed in a furnace to liquefy the first binder
material, which then proceeds to infiltrate the first reinforcement
material 414. After a predetermined amount of time allotted for the
liquefied first binder material to infiltrate the first
reinforcement material 414, the mold assemblies 400a,b may then be
removed from the furnace and cooled at a controlled rate. Once
cooled, the inner mold 404 may be removed to expose an outer shell
for the MMC tool in preparation for a second infiltration step. The
outer shell may comprise portions of the bottom and/or the sides of
the MMC tool. In some embodiments, as described below, the outer
mold 402 may also be removed and the outer shell may either be
placed in a new or second outer mold or otherwise be used itself as
an outer mold for the second infiltration step.
[0052] Referring now to FIG. 5, illustrated is a cross-sectional
side view of a mold assembly 500 that may be used for facilitating
a second infiltration step for an MMC tool, according to one or
more embodiments. Similar to the mold assemblies 400a,b of FIGS. 4A
and 4B, the mold assembly 500 may be used to form and otherwise
fabricate an MMC drill bit, similar in some respects to the MMC
drill bit 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be appreciated, however,
that variations of the mold assembly 500 may alternatively be
incorporated to form and otherwise fabricate any of the MMC tools
mentioned herein, without departing from the scope of the
disclosure. Nonetheless, for purposes of discussion, the mold
assembly 500 will be described herein as forming an MMC drill
bit.
[0053] As illustrated, the mold assembly 500 may comprise an outer
mold 502 that defines an infiltration chamber 504. An outer shell
506 previously produced during the above-described first
infiltration step may be positionable within the outer mold 502. In
some embodiments, the outer mold 502 may be the same as the outer
mold 402 of FIGS. 4A and 4B and, therefore, the outer shell 506 may
be produced in situ within the outer mold 502 during the first
infiltration step, after which the inner mold 404 (FIGS. 4A and 4B)
may be removed. In other embodiments, however, the outer mold 502
may be different from the outer mold 402 and otherwise configured
to receive the outer shell 506 following the above-described first
infiltration step.
[0054] As illustrated, the outer shell 506 may extend across
portions of the bottom and/or the sides of the MMC tool being
fabricated. In some embodiments, as shown in dashed lines, the
outer shell 506 may further extend along exterior portions of the
legs 314 (one shown) and the central displacement 316, if used
during the first infiltration process. In such embodiments, the
displacement materials for the legs 314 and the central
displacement 316 may be retained in place for both the first and
second infiltration processes. In other embodiments, however, the
legs 314 and the central displacement 316, or any other type of
displacement material (e.g., the junk slot displacements 315), may
be added to the mold assembly 500 following the first infiltration
process. In such embodiments, the outer mold 502 may be configured
to hold the displacement materials with respect to the outer shell
506 during the second infiltration process. As illustrated, the
mandrel 202 may also be positioned within the infiltration chamber
504 and may also be held in place with respect to the outer shell
506 during the second infiltration process.
[0055] As illustrated, the outer mold 502 may be configured to
cover and otherwise extend past top portions of the outer shell
506. As will be appreciated, this may prove advantageous in
allowing for the formation of a smooth transition surface between
the outer shell 506 and the mandrel 202 following the second
infiltration step and accomplished during post-processing
machining. Alternatively, the outer mold 502 may allow the
formation of material outside of the outer shell 506. In such
embodiments, the material formed outside of the outer shell 506 may
be removed during post-processing machining.
[0056] After the desired displacement materials have been installed
within the mold assembly 500 and situated with respect to the outer
shell 506, a second reinforcement material 508 may then be
introduced into the mold assembly 500. Similar to the first
reinforcement material 414 of FIGS. 4A and 4B, the second
reinforcement material may comprise reinforcing particles similar
to the reinforcement materials 318 of FIG. 3. A second binder
material 510 may then be introduced into the mold assembly 500 for
infiltrating the second reinforcement material 508 during a second
infiltration process. The second binder material 510 may comprise
materials similar to the binder material 324 of FIG. 3, but may be
different than the first binder material used during the
above-described first infiltration step. In some embodiments, as
illustrated, the second binder material 510 may be placed on top of
the second reinforcement material 508, the mandrel 202, and the
central displacement 316. In other embodiments, however, the mold
assembly 500 may further include the binder bowl 308 (FIG. 3) and
the second binder material 510 may alternatively be placed in the
binder bowl 308 for the second infiltration step.
[0057] During the second infiltration step, the mold assembly 500
may be introduced into a furnace to increase the temperature of the
mold assembly 500 and its contents. When the furnace temperature
reaches the melting point of the second binder material 510, the
second binder material 510 will liquefy and proceed to infiltrate
the second reinforcement material 508. After a predetermined amount
of time allotted for the liquefied second binder material 510 to
infiltrate the second reinforcement material 508, the mold assembly
500 may then be removed from the furnace and cooled at a controlled
rate. Once cooled, the mold assembly 500 may be broken away to
expose the MMC tool for machining and post-processing to finish the
MMC tool.
[0058] The temperature of the second infiltration step may be less
than the temperature of the first infiltration step used to form
the outer shell 506. As will be appreciated, this may be required
so as to not re-liquefy the outer shell 506 although some
diffusion, alloying, or reactions between the outer shell 506 and
the remaining portions of the MMC tool may occur to enhance the
bond. The first and second reinforcing materials 414, 508 may
comprise the same or different material compositions, but the
second binder material 510 may be different than the first binder
material used to form the outer shell 506. In such embodiments, the
second binder material 510 may be configured to melt at a lower
temperature to facilitate the second infiltration process.
[0059] In some embodiments, and prior to undertaking the second
infiltration process, a material coating 512 may be deposited on
the inner surface of the outer shell 506. The material coating 512
may be configured to promote adhesion between outer shell 506 and
the second reinforcing material 508 during the second infiltration
process. The material coating 512 may comprise any material
suitable for diffusion or dissolution into or alloying or reaction
with the second binder material 510 during the second infiltration
process including, but not limited to, transition metals (e.g.,
iridium, rhenium, ruthenium, tungsten, molybdenum, hafnium,
chromium, manganese, rhodium, iron, cobalt, titanium, niobium,
osmium, palladium, platinum, zirconium, nickel, copper, scandium,
tantalum, vanadium, yttrium), post-transition metals (e.g.,
aluminum and tin), semi-metals (e.g., boron and silicon),
alkaline-earth metals (e.g., beryllium and magnesium), lanthanides
(e.g., lanthanum and ytterbium), non-metals (e.g., carbon,
nitrogen, and oxygen), any alloy thereof, and the like. In
particular, reactive metals, such as titanium, chromium, vanadium,
niobium, zirconium, and hafnium, any alloy thereof, and the like,
may drastically increase the strength of the resulting bond between
the outer shell 506 and the reinforced composite material 208 to be
formed during the second infiltration step.
[0060] The material coating 512 may be deposited on the outer shell
506 using any known process including, but not limited to, physical
vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, pulsed
laser deposition, chemical solution deposition, plasma enhanced
chemical vapor deposition, cathodic arc deposition,
electrohydrodynamic deposition (i.e., electrospray deposition),
ion-assisted electron-beam deposition, electrolytic plating,
electroless plating, thermal evaporation, spin coating, dipping
portions of the outer shell 506 in a molten metal bath, and forming
and placing foils. In some embodiments, the material coating 512
may be formed under a controlled atmosphere such as high vacuum
and/or inert atmosphere during the deposition process.
[0061] In some embodiments, the outer mold 502 may not be required
for the second infiltration process. Rather, the outer shell 506
itself may instead be used as a type of mold for loading the second
reinforcement materials 508 and the second binder material 510. In
such embodiments, the second infiltration step may be undertaken
entirely within the outer shell 506. However, an outer mold and/or
fixture (not shown) may be required to maintain the outer shell 506
in place while it is being loaded with the second reinforcement
materials 508 and the second binder material 510 in preparation for
the second infiltration step, and also to prevent the second binder
material 510 from potentially spilling over to the outside. In
other embodiments, the outer mold 502 may be limited to the area
between the outer shell 506 and the mandrel 202 to prevent overflow
of the second reinforcement materials 508 and the second binder
material 510. In such embodiments, the outer mold 502 may interface
directly with the mandrel 202 or maintain a space between mandrel
202 and the outer mold 502, as shown in FIG. 5.
[0062] FIG. 5A illustrates a cross-sectional side view of an
exemplary MMC drill bit 514 fabricated through the above-described
first and second infiltration steps, according to one or more
embodiments. The MMC drill bit 514 may be similar in some respects
to the MMC drill bit 100 of FIG. 2 and therefore will be best
understood with reference thereto, where like numerals represent
like elements not described again. As illustrated, the MMC drill
bit 514 may include the bit head 108, which provides two
macroscopically different regions generated through the first and
second infiltration steps described herein, respectively. For
instance, the bit head 108 includes the outer shell 506 formed
during the first infiltration step and attached to exterior
portions of the reinforced composite material 208 formed during the
second infiltration step. As illustrated, in some embodiments, the
outer shell 506 may extend along all or a portion of the fluid
cavity 204b and the flow passageways 206, without departing from
the scope of the disclosure.
[0063] Referring now to FIG. 6 and FIGS. 6A-6F, illustrated are a
top view and partial cross-sectional side views, respectively, of
an exemplary MMC drill bit 600, according to one or more
embodiments. The MMC drill bit 600 may be similar in some respects
to the MMC drill bits 100 and 514 of FIGS. 1-2 and 5A,
respectively, and therefore may be best understood with reference
thereto, where like numerals will represent like components not
described again in detail. As illustrated in FIG. 6, for instance,
the MMC drill bit 600 may include a plurality of cutter blades 102
(six shown) and cutting elements 118 fixedly installed within
corresponding pockets 116 defined in the cutter blades 102. Nozzle
openings 122 are also defined within the junk slots 124 between
adjacent pairs of cutter blades 102.
[0064] Similar to the MMC drill bit 514 of FIG. 5A, the MMC drill
bit 600 may be manufactured via the first and second infiltration
steps described herein. FIGS. 6A-6F are partial cross-sectional
side views of the MMC drill bit 600 as taken along the lines
indicated in FIG. 6, and each depict an outer shell 602 extending
along some or all of the bottom and sides of the MMC drill bit 600
and otherwise attached to exterior portions of a reinforced
composite material 604. The outer shell 602 may be similar to the
outer shell 506 described above and otherwise fabricated through a
first infiltration step. Moreover, the reinforced composite
material 604 may be similar to the reinforced composite material
208 of FIG. 5A and otherwise fabricated through a second
infiltration step following the first infiltration step, and may
otherwise comprise the second reinforcement material 508 (FIG. 5)
as infiltrated by the second binder material 510 (FIG. 5).
[0065] The partial cross-sectional side views of FIGS. 6A-6F also
depict the mandrel 202 and a fluid cavity 608, and FIGS. 6A, 6D,
and 6F each depict flow passageways 610 extending from the fluid
cavity 608 and terminating in nozzle openings 122. The fluid cavity
608 and the flow passageways 610 may be similar to the fluid cavity
204b and flow passageways 206 of FIG. 5A, and therefore may be
defined using the central displacement 316 and legs 314 of FIGS. 3,
4A-4B or 5.
[0066] The thickness of the outer shell 602 may correspond to the
thickness 410 of the gap 406 of FIGS. 4A and 4B. Accordingly, in
some embodiments, the thickness of the outer shell 602 may be
uniform or constant about the outer portions of the MMC drill bit
600. In other embodiments, however, the thickness of the outer
shell 602 may vary at select locations, such as an increased
thickness at or near the cutter blades 102, as shown in FIGS. 6B
and 6E.
[0067] As indicated above, the outer shell 602 may be made of a
variety of materials configured to provide desired surface
properties to the MMC drill bit 600. More particularly, the outer
shell 602 may be made of materials that may promote wear
resistance, erosion resistance, abrasion resistance, increased
stiffness (elastic modulus), hardness (i.e., resistance to plastic
deformation), yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, fatigue
life, lubricity (i.e., reduced friction), hydrophobicity,
anti-balling characteristics, surface roughness, and surface
energy.
[0068] In some embodiments, the inner surface of the outer shell
602 may be generally smooth, as shown in FIGS. 6A, 6C, 6D, and 6F.
In other embodiments, however, the inner surface of the outer shell
602 may comprise macroscopic surface features 612, as shown in
FIGS. 6B and 6E. The surface features 612 may comprise, but are not
limited to, small-scale undulations, crenellations, steps, waves,
dimples, recesses, protrusions, nubs, fins, threads, miters,
dovetails, knurling, any combination thereof, and the like. Such
surface features 612 may be formed in the inner mold 404 (FIGS. 4A
and 4B) or formed into the outer shell 602 after manufacture, such
as by shot peening, machining, and the like, and may expose sides,
vertices, edges, and the like of the first reinforcement material
414 (FIGS. 4A and 4B) to enhance bonding between the outer shell
602 and the reinforced composite material 604. The surface features
612 may correspond to geometries of the outer shell 602 (e.g.,
cutter pockets) or may be formed in otherwise smooth surfaces or
surfaces whose features do not correspond to the geometries of the
outer shell 602.
[0069] As will be appreciated, the surface features 612 may prove
advantageous in increasing the bonding surface area between the
outer shell 602 and the reinforced composite material 604, and
increasing the surface area may promote adhesion and enhance
shearing strength between the two macroscopic regions. Moreover,
varying the bonding area between the outer shell 602 and the
reinforced composite material 604 may prove advantageous in helping
to prevent the outer shell 602 from being torqued off and otherwise
disengaged from the reinforced composite material 604 during
operational use of the MMC drill bit.
[0070] Referring now to FIG. 7 and FIGS. 7A-7F, illustrated are a
top view and partial cross-sectional side views, respectively, of
another embodiment of the MMC drill bit 600 of FIG. 6, according to
one or more embodiments. FIGS. 7A-7F are partial cross-sectional
side views of the MMC drill bit 600 as taken along the lines
indicated in FIG. 7 and each depict the outer shell 602 extending
along some or all of the bottom and sides of the MMC drill bit 600
and otherwise attached to exterior portions of the reinforced
composite material 604. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A-6F,
however, the outer shell 602 is depicted as extending up along at
least a portion of the flow passageways 610 and the fluid cavity
608, as shown in FIGS. 7A, 7D and 7F.
[0071] In such embodiments, the legs 314 and central displacement
316 of FIGS. 3, 4A-4B, and 5 may have been used during the first
infiltration process. As will be appreciated, having the outer
shell 602 extend along the flow passageways 610 and the fluid
cavity 608 may provide the flow passageways 610 and the fluid
cavity 608 with greater wear and erosion resistance. The reinforced
composite material 604 may provide compliance and toughness between
the outer shell 602 where it extends along the flow passageways 610
and the fluid cavity 608.
[0072] Referring now to FIG. 8 and FIGS. 8A-8F, illustrated are a
top view and partial cross-sectional side views, respectively, of
another embodiment of the MMC drill bit 600 of FIG. 6, according to
one or more embodiments. FIGS. 8A-8F are partial cross-sectional
side views of the MMC drill bit 600 as taken along the lines
indicated in FIG. 8 and each depict the outer shell 602 extending
along some or all of the bottom and sides of the MMC drill bit 600
and otherwise attached to exterior portions of the reinforced
composite material 604. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A-6F
or FIGS. 7A-7F, however, the outer shell 602 is much thicker to the
point that the region below the fluid cavity 608 is completely
filled with the material of the outer shell 602, as shown in FIGS.
8A, 8D and 8F. As indicated above, the thickness of the outer shell
602 may correspond to the thickness 410 of the gap 406 of FIGS. 4A
and 4B, which, in this case, may vary to displace the reinforced
composite material 604 from the region below the fluid cavity 608.
Such embodiments may be easier to manufacture, as the inner mold
404 (FIGS. 4a and 4B) is easier to break out of the outer shell 602
for the second infiltration process. Furthermore, the inner surface
of the outer shell 602 may be far enough from the cutter pockets
116 to produce a fairly smooth surface.
[0073] Referring now to FIG. 9 and FIGS. 9A-9F, illustrated are a
top view and partial cross-sectional side views, respectively, of
another embodiment of the MMC drill bit 600 of FIG. 6, according to
one or more embodiments. FIGS. 9A-9F are partial cross-sectional
side views of the MMC drill bit 600 as taken along the lines
indicated in FIG. 9 and each depict the outer shell 602 extending
along some or all of the bottom and sides of the MMC drill bit 600
and otherwise attached to exterior portions of the reinforced
composite material 604. Unlike the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6A-6F,
7A-7F, or 8A-8F, however, the outer shell 602 in FIGS. 9A-9F is
depicted as being formed primarily at the cutting blades 102, as
shown in FIGS. 9B and 9E. In FIGS. 9A, 9C, and 9D, the outer shell
602 may correspond to the principal blade, in this case, the blade
shown in FIG. 9B. In other cases, the material of the outer shell
602 shown in FIGS. 9A, 9C, and 9D may connect the blades together.
Accordingly, the first infiltration process described above may
result in the outer shell 602 comprising a plurality of component
parts, where each component part corresponds to a given cutting
blade 102. During the second infiltration process, the component
parts of the outer shell 602 at each cutting blade 102 may be
coupled to the reinforced composite material 604, such as through
diffusion or the like, as in the previous embodiments. Further,
such embodiments could be amenable to batch processing, wherein
each blade section of the outer shell 602 is formed in a smaller
mold 402 such that blade sections for multiple bits could be
processed in one heating cycle.
[0074] Referring now to FIG. 10, illustrated is a cross-sectional
side view of another mold assembly 1000 that may be used for
facilitating a second infiltration step for an MMC tool, according
to one or more embodiments. The mold assembly 1000 may be similar
in some respects to the mold assembly 500 of FIG. 5 and, therefore,
may be used to form and otherwise fabricate an MMC drill bit. As
illustrated, the mold assembly 1000 may comprise an outer mold 1002
that defines an infiltration chamber 1004, and an outer shell 1006
produced during the first infiltration step may be positionable
within the outer mold 1002. In the illustrated embodiment, the
outer mold 1002 receives the outer shell 1006, which may have been
fabricated in another outer mold (e.g., the outer mold 402 of FIGS.
4A and 4B) via the first infiltration step.
[0075] Moreover, the outer mold 1002 may include and otherwise
define a plurality of cavities 1008 configured to receive a
corresponding plurality of cutting elements 118 and suitable
attachment material (not shown), such as braze paste or braze foil.
Due its complicated contours, the outer mold 1002 may be composed
of multiple pieces or component parts that can be assembled about
the outer shell 1006 in a predetermined order to allow for complete
assembly. The cutting elements 118 and attachment material may be
positioned within the cavities 1008 prior to positioning the outer
shell 1006 within the outer mold 1002. As illustrated, the outer
shell 1006 may include a plurality of pockets 116 molded therein
during the first infiltration process and otherwise configured to
align with the cutting elements 118 when positioned within the
outer mold 1002. During the second infiltration process, the
cutting elements 118 may be joined to the outer shell 1006 at the
pockets 116. As indicated above, the second infiltration process
may be undertaken at a temperature that is lower than that of the
first infiltration process, but sufficiently high to braze the
cutting elements 118 to the pockets 116. As will be appreciated,
this may prove advantageous in eliminating human interaction in
attaching the cutting elements 118 to the pockets 116, since they
will all be attached in-situ during the second infiltration
step.
[0076] Referring now to FIG. 11, illustrated is an exemplary
drilling system 1100 that may employ one or more principles of the
present disclosure. Boreholes may be created by drilling into the
earth 1102 using the drilling system 1100. The drilling system 1100
may be configured to drive a bottom hole assembly (BHA) 1104
positioned or otherwise arranged at the bottom of a drill string
1106 extended into the earth 1102 from a derrick 1108 arranged at
the surface 1110. The derrick 1108 includes a kelly 1112 and a
traveling block 113 used to lower and raise the kelly 112 and the
drill string 1106.
[0077] The BHA 1104 may include a drill bit 1114 operatively
coupled to a tool string 1116 which may be moved axially within a
drilled wellbore 1118 as attached to the drill string 1106. The
drill bit 1114 may be fabricated and otherwise created in
accordance with the principles of the present disclosure and, more
particularly, with two macroscopic regions formed during first and
second infiltration steps. During operation, the drill bit 1114
penetrates the earth 1102 and thereby creates the wellbore 1118.
The BHA 1104 provides directional control of the drill bit 1114 as
it advances into the earth 1102. The tool string 1116 can be
semi-permanently mounted with various measurement tools (not shown)
such as, but not limited to, measurement-while-drilling (MWD) and
logging-while-drilling (LWD) tools, that may be configured to take
downhole measurements of drilling conditions. In other embodiments,
the measurement tools may be self-contained within the tool string
1116, as shown in FIG. 11.
[0078] Fluid or "mud" from a mud tank 1120 may be pumped downhole
using a mud pump 1122 powered by an adjacent power source, such as
a prime mover or motor 1124. The mud may be pumped from the mud
tank 1120, through a stand pipe 1126, which feeds the mud into the
drill string 1106 and conveys the same to the drill bit 1114. The
mud exits one or more nozzles arranged in the drill bit 1114 and in
the process cools the drill bit 1114. After exiting the drill bit
1114, the mud circulates back to the surface 1110 via the annulus
defined between the wellbore 1118 and the drill string 1106, and in
the process, returns drill cuttings and debris to the surface. The
cuttings and mud mixture are passed through a flow line 1148 and
are processed such that a cleaned mud is returned down hole through
the stand pipe 1126 once again.
[0079] Although the drilling system 1100 is shown and described
with respect to a rotary drill system in FIG. 11, those skilled in
the art will readily appreciate that many types of drilling systems
can be employed in carrying out embodiments of the disclosure. For
instance, drills and drill rigs used in embodiments of the
disclosure may be used onshore (as depicted in FIG. 11) or offshore
(not shown). Offshore oil rigs that may be used in accordance with
embodiments of the disclosure include, for example, floaters, fixed
platforms, gravity-based structures, drill ships, semi-submersible
platforms, jack-up drilling rigs, tension-leg platforms, and the
like. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the disclosure can
be applied to rigs ranging anywhere from small in size and
portable, to bulky and permanent.
[0080] Further, although described herein with respect to oil
drilling, various embodiments of the disclosure may be used in many
other applications. For example, disclosed methods can be used in
forming tools for use in drilling for mineral exploration,
environmental investigation, natural gas extraction, underground
installation, mining operations, water wells, geothermal wells, and
the like. Further, embodiments of the disclosure may be used in
weight-on-packers assemblies, in running liner hangers, in running
completion strings, etc., without departing from the scope of the
disclosure.
[0081] Embodiments disclosed herein include:
[0082] A. A method for fabricating a metal-matrix composite (MMC)
tool that includes positioning an inner mold within an outer mold
and thereby defining a gap between the inner and outer molds,
loading a first reinforcement material into the gap, infiltrating
the first reinforcement material at a first temperature with a
first binder material and thereby forming an outer shell, removing
the inner mold and loading a second reinforcement material at least
partially into the outer shell, and infiltrating the second
reinforcement material at a second temperature with a second binder
material and thereby forming a reinforced composite material,
wherein the second temperature is lower than the first temperature
and the second binder material is different from the first binder
material, and wherein the outer shell is attached to exterior
portions of the reinforced composite material.
[0083] B. A metal-matrix composite (MMC) tool that includes a
reinforced composite material forming a core of the MMC tool and
having an exterior, and an outer shell attached to at least a
portion of the exterior and being harder than the reinforced
composite material, wherein the outer shell is formed during a
first infiltration step where a first binder material infiltrates a
first reinforcement material at a first temperature, the first
reinforcement material being loaded into a gap defined between an
inner mold and an outer mold, wherein the reinforced composite
portion is formed after the outer shell and during a second
infiltration step where a second binder material infiltrates a
second reinforcement material at a second temperature, the second
reinforcement material being loaded at least partially into the
outer shell, and wherein the second temperature is lower than the
first temperature and the second binder material is different from
the first binder material.
[0084] C. A drilling assembly that includes a drill string
extendable from a drilling platform and into a wellbore, a drill
bit attached to an end of the drill string, and a pump fluidly
connected to the drill string and configured to circulate a
drilling fluid to the drill bit and through the wellbore. The drill
bit may include a reinforced composite material forming a core of
the drill bit and having an exterior, and an outer shell attached
to at least a portion of the exterior and being harder than the
reinforced composite material, wherein the outer shell is formed
during a first infiltration step where a first binder material
infiltrates a first reinforcement material at a first temperature,
the first reinforcement material being loaded into a gap defined
between an inner mold and an outer mold, wherein the reinforced
composite portion is formed after the outer shell and during a
second infiltration step where a second binder material infiltrates
a second reinforcement material at a second temperature, the second
reinforcement material being loaded at least partially into the
outer shell, and wherein the second temperature is lower than the
first temperature and the second binder material is different from
the first binder material.
[0085] Each of embodiments A, B, and C may have one or more of the
following additional elements in any combination: Element 1:
further comprising varying a thickness of the gap and thereby
varying a thickness of the outer shell at select regions. Element
2: wherein positioning the inner mold within the outer mold further
comprises positioning one or more displacements within the outer
mold to form one or more features while infiltrating the first
reinforcement material at the first temperature. Element 3: wherein
loading the second reinforcement material at least partially into
the outer shell is preceded by positioning one or more
displacements within the outer shell to form one or more features
while infiltrating the second reinforcement material at the second
temperature. Element 4: wherein the outer mold is a first outer
mold and wherein loading the second reinforcement material at least
partially into the outer shell is preceded by removing the outer
shell from the first outer mold, and positioning the outer shell in
a second outer mold. Element 5: wherein the second outer mold
defines a plurality of cavities and a corresponding plurality of
cutting elements are disposed in the plurality of cavities and
alignable with a plurality of pockets defined in an outer surface
of the outer shell, and wherein infiltrating the second
reinforcement material at the second temperature further comprises
attaching the plurality of cutting elements to the plurality of
pockets. Element 6: wherein an attachment material is disposed in
the plurality of cavities with the plurality of cutting elements,
and wherein attaching the plurality of cutting elements to the
plurality of pockets comprises brazing the plurality of cutting
elements to the plurality of pockets with the attachment material.
Element 7: wherein loading the second reinforcement material at
least partially into the outer shell is preceded by depositing a
material coating on at least a portion of an inner surface of the
outer shell. Element 8: wherein loading the second reinforcement
material at least partially into the outer shell is preceded by
forming one or more surface features on at least a portion of an
inner surface of the outer shell.
[0086] Element 9: wherein the MMC tool is a tool selected from the
group consisting of an oilfield drill bit or cutting tool, a
non-retrievable drilling component, an aluminum drill bit body
associated with casing drilling of wellbores, a drill-string
stabilizer, a cone for roller-cone drill bits, a model for forging
dies used to fabricate support arms for roller-cone drill bits, an
arm for fixed reamers, an arm for expandable reamers, an internal
component associated with expandable reamers, a sleeve attachable
to an uphole end of a rotary drill bit, a rotary steering tool, a
logging-while-drilling tool, a measurement-while-drilling tool, a
side-wall coring tool, a fishing spear, a washover tool, a rotor, a
stator and/or housing for downhole drilling motors, blades for
downhole turbines, armor plating, an automotive component, a
bicycle frame, a brake fin, an aerospace component, a turbopump
component, and any combination thereof. Element 10: wherein the
first and second binder materials comprise a material selected from
the group consisting of copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum,
molybdenum, chromium, manganese, tin, zinc, lead, silicon,
tungsten, boron, phosphorous, gold, silver, palladium, indium, any
mixture thereof, any alloy thereof, and any combination thereof.
Element 11: wherein the first and second reinforcement materials
comprise reinforcing particles selected from the group consisting
of a metal, a metal alloy, a superalloy, an intermetallic, a
boride, a carbide, a nitride, an oxide, a ceramic, a diamond, and
any combination thereof. Element 12: wherein a thickness of the
outer shell varies. Element 13: wherein the outer mold is a first
outer mold and the outer shell is positioned in a second outer mold
for the second infiltration step. Element 14: wherein the second
outer mold defines a plurality of cavities and a corresponding
plurality of cutting elements and attachment material are
disposable in the plurality of cavities and alignable with a
plurality of pockets defined in an outer surface of the outer
shell, and wherein the plurality of cutting elements are attached
to the plurality of pockets during the second infiltration step.
Element 15: wherein a material coating is applied to at least a
portion of an inner surface of the outer shell prior to loading the
second reinforcement material at least partially into the outer
shell. Element 16: wherein the material coating comprises a
material selected from the group consisting of a transition metal,
a post-transition metal, a semi-metal, an alkaline-earth metal, a
lanthanide, a non-metal, and any alloy thereof. Element 17: wherein
the MMC tool is a drill bit that defines one or more flow
passageways and a fluid cavity, and wherein the outer shell extends
along at least a portion of one or both of the one or more flow
passageways and the fluid cavity. Element 18: wherein the outer
shell has an inner surface attached to the portion of the exterior
of the reinforced composite material, and wherein the inner surface
defines one or more surface features. Element 19: wherein the MMC
tool is a drill bit that provides a plurality of cutter blades, and
wherein the outer shell comprises a plurality of component parts
each positioned at a corresponding cutter blade.
[0087] Element 20: wherein a thickness of the outer shell varies.
Element 21: wherein the outer mold is a first outer mold and the
outer shell is positioned in a second outer mold for the second
infiltration step, wherein the second outer mold defines a
plurality of cavities and a corresponding plurality of cutting
elements and attachment material are disposable in the plurality of
cavities and alignable with a plurality of pockets defined in an
outer surface of the outer shell, and wherein the plurality of
cutting elements are attached to the plurality of pockets during
the second infiltration step. Element 22: wherein a material
coating is applied to at least a portion of an inner surface of the
outer shell prior to loading the second reinforcement material at
least partially into the outer shell. Element 23: wherein the drill
bit defines one or more flow passageways and a fluid cavity, and
wherein the outer shell extends along at least a portion of one or
both of the one or more flow passageways and the fluid cavity.
[0088] By way of non-limiting example, exemplary combinations
applicable to A, B, and C include: Element 4 with Element 5;
Element 5 with Element 6; Element 13 with Element 14; and Element
15 with Element 16.
[0089] Therefore, the disclosed systems and methods are well
adapted to attain the ends and advantages mentioned as well as
those that are inherent therein. The particular embodiments
disclosed above are illustrative only, as the teachings of the
present disclosure may be modified and practiced in different but
equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the
benefit of the teachings herein. Furthermore, no limitations are
intended to the details of construction or design herein shown,
other than as described in the claims below. It is therefore
evident that the particular illustrative embodiments disclosed
above may be altered, combined, or modified and all such variations
are considered within the scope of the present disclosure. The
systems and methods illustratively disclosed herein may suitably be
practiced in the absence of any element that is not specifically
disclosed herein and/or any optional element disclosed herein.
While compositions and methods are described in terms of
"comprising," "containing," or "including" various components or
steps, the compositions and methods can also "consist essentially
of" or "consist of" the various components and steps. All numbers
and ranges disclosed above may vary by some amount. Whenever a
numerical range with a lower limit and an upper limit is disclosed,
any number and any included range falling within the range is
specifically disclosed. In particular, every range of values (of
the form, "from about a to about b," or, equivalently, "from
approximately a to b," or, equivalently, "from approximately a-b")
disclosed herein is to be understood to set forth every number and
range encompassed within the broader range of values. Also, the
terms in the claims have their plain, ordinary meaning unless
otherwise explicitly and clearly defined by the patentee. Moreover,
the indefinite articles "a" or "an," as used in the claims, are
defined herein to mean one or more than one of the elements that it
introduces. If there is any conflict in the usages of a word or
term in this specification and one or more patent or other
documents that may be incorporated herein by reference, the
definitions that are consistent with this specification should be
adopted.
[0090] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" preceding a
series of items, with the terms "and" or "or" to separate any of
the items, modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of
the list (i.e., each item). The phrase "at least one of" allows a
meaning that includes at least one of any one of the items, and/or
at least one of any combination of the items, and/or at least one
of each of the items. By way of example, the phrases "at least one
of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refer to only
A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and/or at
least one of each of A, B, and C.
* * * * *