Abstract: Surface texturing is employed to modify the topography of one or more surfaces (radial or cylindrical) of the sealing system for a roller cone rock bit. The surface texturing produces a regular or repeated patterned dimpled surface which retains additional lubricant helpful in reducing friction in the boundary and mixed lubrication regimes.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes one or more machined high-angle sockets and method for fabricating such sockets. The apparatus includes a body, one or more blades extending outwardly from the body, and one or more high-angle nozzles machined into a portion of the blade. The body includes a bit face at one end and a plenum formed therein communicably coupled to an opening formed at an opposing end. Each blade includes a leading section, a trailing section, a face section extending from one end of the leading section to an end of the trailing section, and an inner section extending from an opposing end of the leading section to an opposing end of the trailing section. Each nozzle includes a nozzle socket cavity and a second hole intersecting with the nozzle socket cavity and extending to the plenum, which collectively form a passage extending from the plenum to the bit face.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes one or more flow channels and method for fabricating such flow channels. The apparatus includes a body, one or more blades from one end of the body, and a corresponding gauge section disposed adjacently and in alignment with a respective blade. Each gauge section includes a leading section, a trailing section, a face section extending from one end of the leading section to an end of the trailing section, and at least one flow channel extending from the leading edge section to at least one of the trailing edge section or the face section.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes one or more flow channels and method for fabricating such flow channels. The apparatus includes a body and one or more blades extending from one end of the body. Each blade includes a leading section, a trailing section, a face section extending from one end of the leading section to an end of the trailing section, and at least one flow channel extending from the leading edge section to the trailing edge section.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for non-destructively determining the wear resistance of an ultra-hard polycrystalline structure after being coupled to a downhole tool using capacitance measurements. The apparatus includes a capacitance measuring device having a positive and negative terminal, a leached component comprising a polycrystalline structure that has been coupled to a downhole tool, a first wire, and a second wire. The first wire electrically couples the positive terminal to a surface of the leached component and the second wire electrically couples the negative terminal to a surface of the downhole tool. The capacitance is measured for the leached component one or more times and compared to a calibration curve that shows a relationship between capacitance values and wear resistance, thereby allowing determination of an estimated wear resistance for the polycrystalline structure.

Abstract: A front face of a diamond table mounted to a substrate is processed, for example through an acid leach, to remove interstitial catalyst binder and form a thermal channel. A material is then introduced to the front face of the diamond table, the introduced material backfilling the front face of the diamond table to fill interstitial voids left by removal of the catalyst binder in the thermal channel to a desired depth. The material is selected to be less thermally expandable than the catalyst binder and/or more thermally conductive than the catalyst binder and/or having a lower heat capacity than the catalyst binder.

Abstract: A process is presented which produces at least one block of dense material constituted by hard particles dispersed in a binder phase, it being possible for the dense material to be enriched locally with binder phase by imbibition. The process includes bringing at least one imbibition area of a surface of the block, preferably coated with a coating material, into contact with an imbibiting material which locally enriches the block with binder phase. The block in contact with the imbibiting material is then subjected to a suitable thermal cycle constituted by heating, temperature maintenance and cooling. This serves to bring some or all of the imbibiting material and the binder phase of the block into the liquid state in such a manner that the enrichment with binder phase takes place solely through the imbibition area. The block is used in connection with the building of a drill bit or tool.

Abstract: A sectorial force balanced drill bit, including conventional and bi-center drill bits, having the true center of rotation the same as, or about the same as, the bit mass axis. The bit mass axis is a longitudinal axis located off-center to the geometric axis of the bit and comprises the center of mass point. Additionally, a method for sectorially force balancing drill bits is provided. The method includes dividing the drill bit into one or more sections, calculating the magnitude and direction of the resultant radial imbalance force for the cutters of each section, adjusting the cutters and/or blades until the magnitude of the resultant radial imbalance force is about the same for each section and the direction of the resultant radial imbalance force for each section is about 2?/n, where n is the number of sections, from the adjacent section.

Abstract: A repaired polycrystalline diamond cutter and method for fabricating the same. The cutter includes a damaged substrate that includes at least one void therein, a polycrystalline diamond table coupled to the damaged substrate, and a build-up compound disposed within the voids formed about the damaged substrate. The damaged substrate and the build-up compound collectively form a full circumference. The method includes obtaining a damaged cutter that includes a polycrystalline diamond table coupled to a damaged substrate having at least one void formed therein, bonding a build-up compound within the at least one void and forming a processed PDC cutter, and removing a portion of the build-up compound from the processed PDC cutter and forming the repaired cutter.

Abstract: A thermally stable polycrystalline diamond cutter and method for fabricating the same. The cutter includes a substrate and a cutting table bonded thereto. The cutting table includes a cutting surface, a first beveled edge, a second beveled edge, a side surface, and an opposing surface that is adjacent to the substrate. The first beveled edge extends outwardly at a first angle from the cutting surface towards the substrate. The second beveled edge extends outwardly at a second angle from the first beveled edge towards the substrate. The side surface extends from the second beveled edge to the opposing surface. The cutting table is formed from a polycrystalline diamond structure having interstitial spaces disposed therebetween and a catalyst material disposed within the spaces in an untreated layer and not within a treated layer. The untreated layer includes the entire side surface.

Abstract: A substrate includes a surface having blind apertures formed therein. The blind apertures formed in the surface are preferably arranged in a regular and repeating pattern, such as with an array. A super-abrasive material fills each of the blind apertures. Each apertures hole has an opening with a cross-sectional dimension in the range of 1 mm to 15 mm. The super-abrasive material filling each of the plurality of blind apertures may be a polycrystalline diamond compact or an impregnated diamond material (such as formed by fused tungsten carbide impregnating randomly distributed diamond particles). The blind apertures may be formed in the substrate using electrical discharge machining.

Abstract: A layer of matrix powder is deposited within a mold opening. A layer of super-abrasive particles is then deposited over the matrix powder layer. The super-abrasive particles have a non-random distribution, such as being positioned at locations set by a regular and repeating distribution pattern. A layer of matrix powder is then deposited over the super-abrasive particles. The particle and matrix powder layer deposition process steps are repeated to produce a cell having alternating layers of matrix powder and non-randomly distributed super-abrasive particles. The cell is then fused, for example using an infiltration, hot isostatic pressing or sintering process, to produce an impregnated structure. A working surface of the impregnated structure that is oriented non-parallel (and, in particular, perpendicular) to the super-abrasive particle layers is used as an abrading surface for a tool.

Abstract: A block of dense material is made up of hard particles, of the same or different nature, dispersed in a binder phase. The material has a solidus temperature Ts above which the binder phase is liquid. There is deposited on at least a portion of the surface of the block of dense material an active coating composed of a material capable of reacting chemically with the dense material when the assembly is heated to beyond a minimum reaction temperature Tr. The block coated with the active coating is subjected to a heat treatment comprising heating, then maintenance for a time tm at a maintenance temperature Tm greater than or equal to the minimum reaction temperature Tr, followed by cooling to ambient temperature.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus for testing properties of a hard component. The apparatus includes a holder, a component, an indenter, a sensor holder, and an acoustic sensor. The holder includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end defines a first cavity extending towards the second end. The component is positioned in the first cavity. The indenter is positioned adjacent to a portion of the component and applies a load onto the component. The sensor holder includes an upper portion, a lower portion, and a second cavity therein. The upper portion is coupled to the second end. The sensor is positioned within the second cavity. In some embodiments, the apparatus includes a rod coupled to the lower portion. The rod has a lower acoustic impedance than the sensor holder, thereby allowing sound waves to pass through the sensor holder and not be reflected back into the sensor.

Abstract: A system is described herein for selecting a bit from a bit fleet for use in a field operation. The system includes a subjective module, an objective module, a financial module, and a management engine, each of which executes on a hardware processor. The subjective module determines whether subjective bit performance data points exceed a subjective threshold. The objective module determines whether objective bit performance data points exceed an objective threshold. The financial module determines whether financial bit performance data points exceed a financial threshold. The management engine receives bit data, evaluates bit performance parameters, categorizes the bit performance parameters to generate one or more categorized bit performance parameters, and determines whether the bit is usable in the field operation.

Abstract: A casing end tool has a bowl-like (or cup-like) body defined by a wall having an outer convex surface and an inner concave surface opposite of the outer convex surface. The bowl-like body has a center axis. The inner concave surface is non-axisymmetric with respect to the center axis, while the outer convex surface is axisymmetric with respect to the center axis. The non-axisymmetric configuration is provided in one implementation through the presence of a set of raised boss or land structures formed on the inner concave surface. In another implementation, the non-axisymmetric configuration is provided by channels formed in the inner concave surface.

Abstract: A post manufacture method and apparatus for reducing residual stresses present within a component. The component includes a substrate, a polycrystalline structure coupled thereto, and residual stresses present therein. The method includes obtaining a component from a component category, determining a critical temperature and a critical time period for the component category at which the component becomes structurally impaired, determining a heat treatment temperature and a heat treatment time period based upon the critical temperature and the critical time period, and heating one or more remaining components from the component category to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period. The apparatus includes a heater defining a heating chamber and a molten bath positioned within the heating chamber. The components are placed within the pre-heated molten bath and isolated from oxygen during heating to the heat treatment temperature for the heat treatment time period.

Abstract: An earth boring drill bit having an alternate path to allow cuttings to be ejected or evacuated from the drill bit and up the bore hole is disclosed. The evacuation hole of the present disclosure allows larger sized cuttings to evacuate from the bit without having to be continually ground by rolling cone cutters until the cuttings are small enough to follow a path around the edge of the shirttail of the bit and up the borehole. A cuttings restrictor is disposed at the inlet of the evacuation hole. The cuttings restrictor ensures that only cuttings that are sized to move completely through the evacuation hole and exit the drill bit are allowed to enter the evacuation hole.

Abstract: A method to leach a component that includes a polycrystalline structure. The method includes obtaining the component having the polycrystalline structure. The polycrystalline structure includes catalyst material deposited therein. The method also includes performing a leaching process on the polycrystalline structure to an intermediate leaching depth. The leaching process removes at least a portion of the catalyst material from the polycrystalline structure and forms one or more by-product materials deposited therein. The method also includes performing a cleaning process on the polycrystalline structure, which removes at least a portion of the by-product materials. The leaching process and the cleaning process are iteratively continued until the intermediate leaching depth reaches a desired leaching depth, both of which are measured from one end of the polycrystalline structure. The desired leaching depth is greater than at least one intermediate leaching depth.

Abstract: A method to leach a component that includes a polycrystalline structure. The method includes obtaining the component having the polycrystalline structure. The polycrystalline structure includes catalyst material deposited therein. The method also includes performing a leaching process on the polycrystalline structure to an intermediate leaching depth. The leaching process removes at least a portion of the catalyst material from the polycrystalline structure and forms one or more by-product materials deposited therein. The method also includes performing a cleaning process on the polycrystalline structure, which removes at least a portion of the by-product materials. The leaching process and the cleaning process are iteratively continued until the intermediate leaching depth reaches a desired leaching depth, both of which are measured from one end of the polycrystalline structure. The desired leaching depth is greater than at least one intermediate leaching depth.