Patents by Inventor Ronald A. Clausen
Ronald A. Clausen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11982173Abstract: A method for drilling a wellbore includes providing a mud motor connected to a downhole end of a drillstring, wherein a bend adjustment assembly of the mud motor is provided in a first configuration, pumping a drilling fluid at a drilling flowrate from a supply pump into the drillstring whereby a drill bit coupled to the drillstring is rotated to drill into the earthen formation, receiving by a drilling controller an actuation command instructing the drilling controller to shift the bend adjustment assembly from the first configuration to a second configuration, and operating by the drilling controller at least one of the supply pump to provide an actuation drilling fluid flowrate stored in a storage device of the drilling controller, and a rotary system to provide an actuation drillstring rotational speed stored in the storage deviceType: GrantFiled: May 2, 2022Date of Patent: May 14, 2024Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Qunzhang Li
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Publication number: 20240151109Abstract: A downhole mud motor includes a driveshaft housing, a driveshaft rotatably disposed in the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, and a bend adjustment assembly including a first position, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a second position, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes an adjustment mandrel having a first axial position corresponding to the first position of the bend adjustment assembly and a second axial position which corresponds to the second position of the bend adjustment assembly, and wherein the bend adjustment assembly is prevented from actuating from the first position to the second position when the adjustment mandrel is in the first axial position, and wherein the bend adjustment assembly is permitted to actuate between the first position and the second position when the adjustment mandrel is in a second axial position that is axially spaced from the first axial position.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2020Publication date: May 9, 2024Applicant: NATIONAL OILWELL DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Patent number: 11952895Abstract: A downhole motor for directional drilling includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, a bend adjustment assembly configured to adjust a bend setting of the downhole motor, a lock piston including an unlocked position, and a locked position configured to lock the bend setting of the bend adjustment assembly, one or more hydraulic pumps configured to actuate the lock piston into the unlocked position to unlock the bend adjustment assembly, and an electronics package configured to indicate the bend setting of the bend adjustment assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2023Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Publication number: 20230349283Abstract: A method for drilling a wellbore includes providing a mud motor connected to a downhole end of a drillstring, wherein a bend adjustment assembly of the mud motor is provided in a first configuration, pumping a drilling fluid at a drilling flowrate from a supply pump into the drillstring whereby a drill bit coupled to the drillstring is rotated to drill into the earthen formation, receiving by a drilling controller an actuation command instructing the drilling controller to shift the bend adjustment assembly from the first configuration to a second configuration, and operating by the drilling controller at least one of the supply pump to provide an actuation drilling fluid flowrate stored in a storage device of the drilling controller, and a rotary system to provide an actuation drillstring rotational speed stored in the storage deviceType: ApplicationFiled: May 2, 2022Publication date: November 2, 2023Applicant: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Qunzhang Li
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Publication number: 20230279728Abstract: A downhole motor for directional drilling includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, a bend adjustment assembly configured to adjust a bend setting of the downhole motor, a lock piston including an unlocked position, and a locked position configured to lock the bend setting of the bend adjustment assembly, one or more hydraulic pumps configured to actuate the lock piston into the unlocked position to unlock the bend adjustment assembly, and an electronics package configured to indicate the bend setting of the bend adjustment assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 25, 2023Publication date: September 7, 2023Applicant: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Patent number: 11668136Abstract: A downhole motor for directional drilling includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, a bend adjustment assembly including a first position that provides a first deflection angle between a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft housing and a longitudinal axis of the bearing mandrel, and a second position that provides a second deflection angle between the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft housing and the longitudinal axis of the bearing mandrel that is different from the first deflection angle, and one or more hydraulic pumps configured to actuate the bend adjustment assembly between the first position and the second position.Type: GrantFiled: September 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Patent number: 11629557Abstract: A downhole motor includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, and a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, wherein the bearing assembly is configured to provide a first flowpath extending into a central passage of the bearing mandrel from an annulus formed between the bearing mandrel and the bearing housing and a second flowpath separate from the first flowpath, that extends through a bearing of the bearing assembly that is disposed radially between the bearing mandrel and the bearing housing, wherein a plurality of rotary seals are positioned radially between the bearing mandrel and the bearing housing to form an sealed chamber that is spaced from the bearing of the bearing assembly.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2019Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: National Oilwell Varco, L.P.Inventors: Nicholas Ryan Marchand, Jeffery Ronald Clausen
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Patent number: 11225835Abstract: A bend adjustment assembly for a downhole mud motor includes a driveshaft housing, a driveshaft rotatably disposed in the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a first position that provides a first deflection angle between a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft housing and a longitudinal axis of the bearing mandrel, a second position that provides a second deflection angle, and a third position that provides a third deflection angle, and an actuator assembly configured to shift the bend adjustment assembly between the first position, the second position, and the third position in response to a change in at least one of flowrate of a drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, pressure of the drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, and relative rotation between the driveshaft housing and the bearing mandrel.Type: GrantFiled: October 14, 2020Date of Patent: January 18, 2022Assignee: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Publication number: 20220003044Abstract: A downhole motor for directional drilling includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, a bend adjustment assembly including a first position that provides a first deflection angle between a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft housing and a longitudinal axis of the bearing mandrel, and a second position that provides a second deflection angle between the longitudinal axis of the driveshaft housing and the longitudinal axis of the bearing mandrel that is different from the first deflection angle, and one or more hydraulic pumps configured to actuate the bend adjustment assembly between the first position and the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 21, 2021Publication date: January 6, 2022Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Patent number: 11149498Abstract: A downhole motor for directional drilling includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, a bend adjustment assembly configured to adjust a bend setting of the downhole motor, and an electronics package coupled to the driveshaft assembly, wherein the electronics package is configured to receive data from sensors of the downhole motor.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2019Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Patent number: 11002099Abstract: A system for generating pressure pulses in drilling fluid includes a concentric drive power section. The power section includes a stator and a rotor rotatably disposed in the stator. The rotor is coaxially aligned with the stator. The system also includes a valve. The valve includes a first valve member coupled to the stator and a second valve member coupled to the rotor. The second valve member is configured to rotate with the rotor relative to the first valve member and the stator. The rotation of the second valve member relative to the first valve member is configured to generate pressure pulses in drilling fluid flowing through the concentric drive power section.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2018Date of Patent: May 11, 2021Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand, Sean Matthew Donald
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Patent number: 10988988Abstract: Drill bits and methods relating thereto are disclosed. In an embodiment, the drill bit includes a body having a plurality of legs each having a lower section that has a leading surface and a trailing surface. A plurality of cone cutters are each rotatably mounted to the lower section of one of the legs, each having a cone axis, and including a first plurality of cutter elements arranged about the cone axis such that each is shear the formation when the body is rotated about the bit axis.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2020Date of Patent: April 27, 2021Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL DHT, L.P.Inventor: Jeffery Ronald Clausen
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Publication number: 20210025239Abstract: A bend adjustment assembly for a downhole mud motor includes a driveshaft housing, a driveshaft rotatably disposed in the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a first position that provides a first deflection angle between a longitudinal axis of the driveshaft housing and a longitudinal axis of the bearing mandrel, a second position that provides a second deflection angle, and a third position that provides a third deflection angle, and an actuator assembly configured to shift the bend adjustment assembly between the first position, the second position, and the third position in response to a change in at least one of flowrate of a drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, pressure of the drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, and relative rotation between the driveshaft housing and the bearing mandrel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 14, 2020Publication date: January 28, 2021Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Patent number: 10808462Abstract: A bend adjustment assembly includes a driveshaft housing, a driveshaft disposed in the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, wherein the assembly includes a first position that provides a first deflection angle, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a second position that provides a second deflection angle that is different from the first deflection angle, and an actuator assembly configured to shift the bend adjustment assembly between the first position and the second position in response to a change in at least one of flowrate of a drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, pressure of the drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, and relative rotation between the driveshaft housing and the bearing mandrel, wherein the actuator assembly includes an actuator housing through which the bearing mandrel extends and an actuator piston configured to transfer torque between the bearing mandrel and the actuator housing.Type: GrantFiled: April 8, 2019Date of Patent: October 20, 2020Assignee: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Publication number: 20200291724Abstract: Drill bits and methods relating thereto are disclosed. In an embodiment, the drill bit includes a body having a plurality of legs each having a lower section that has a leading surface and a trailing surface. A plurality of cone cutters are each rotatably mounted to the lower section of one of the legs, each having a cone axis, and including a first plurality of cutter elements arranged about the cone axis such that each is shear the formation when the body is rotated about the bit axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2020Publication date: September 17, 2020Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventor: Jeffery Ronald Clausen
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Patent number: 10704330Abstract: Drill bits and methods relating thereto are disclosed. In an embodiment, the drill bit includes a body having a plurality of legs each having a lower section that has a leading surface and a trailing surface. A plurality of cone cutters are each rotatably mounted to the lower section of one of the legs, each having a cone axis, and including a first plurality of cutter elements arranged about the cone axis such that each is shear the formation when the body is rotated about the bit axis.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2014Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: NATIONAL OILWELL DHT, L.P.Inventor: Jeffery Ronald Clausen
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Publication number: 20200024924Abstract: A system for generating pressure pulses in drilling fluid includes a concentric drive power section. The power section includes a stator and a rotor rotatably disposed in the stator. The rotor is coaxially aligned with the stator. The system also includes a valve. The valve includes a first valve member coupled to the stator and a second valve member coupled to the rotor. The second valve member is configured to rotate with the rotor relative to the first valve member and the stator. The rotation of the second valve member relative to the first valve member is configured to generate pressure pulses in drilling fluid flowing through the concentric drive power section.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2018Publication date: January 23, 2020Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand, Sean Matthew Donald
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Publication number: 20190330926Abstract: A downhole motor for directional drilling includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, a bend adjustment assembly configured to adjust a bend setting of the downhole motor, and an electronics package coupled to the driveshaft assembly, wherein the electronics package is configured to receive data from sensors of the downhole motor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2019Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand
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Publication number: 20190330925Abstract: A downhole motor includes a driveshaft assembly including a driveshaft housing and a driveshaft rotatably disposed within the driveshaft housing, and a bearing assembly including a bearing housing and a bearing mandrel rotatably disposed within the bearing housing, wherein the bearing mandrel is configured to couple with a drill bit, wherein the bearing assembly is configured to provide a first flowpath extending into a central passage of the bearing mandrel from an annulus formed between the bearing mandrel and the bearing housing and a second flowpath separate from the first flowpath, that extends through a bearing of the bearing assembly that is disposed radially between the bearing mandrel and the bearing housing, wherein a plurality of rotary seals are positioned radially between the bearing mandrel and the bearing housing to form an sealed chamber that is spaced from the bearing of the bearing assembly.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2019Publication date: October 31, 2019Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Nicholas Ryan Marchand, Jeffery Ronald Clausen
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Publication number: 20190234149Abstract: A bend adjustment assembly includes a driveshaft housing, a driveshaft disposed in the driveshaft housing, a bearing mandrel coupled to the driveshaft, wherein the assembly includes a first position that provides a first deflection angle, wherein the bend adjustment assembly includes a second position that provides a second deflection angle that is different from the first deflection angle, and an actuator assembly configured to shift the bend adjustment assembly between the first position and the second position in response to a change in at least one of flowrate of a drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, pressure of the drilling fluid supplied to the downhole mud motor, and relative rotation between the driveshaft housing and the bearing mandrel, wherein the actuator assembly includes an actuator housing through which the bearing mandrel extends and an actuator piston configured to transfer torque between the bearing mandrel and the actuator housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2019Publication date: August 1, 2019Applicant: National Oilwell DHT, L.P.Inventors: Jeffery Ronald Clausen, Nicholas Ryan Marchand