Patents by Inventor Zhehua Zhang

Zhehua Zhang 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).

  • Patent number: 9850717
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for analyzing a fixed cutter drill bit, said method including selecting a cutter; selecting an earth formation; simulating drilling performance of the fixed cutter bit having at least once cutter thereon; performing finite element analysis using outputs from the simulating; and outputting stress on the at least one cutter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Zhehua Zhang, Jiaqing Yu
  • Patent number: 9574405
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved drill bit and a method for designing thereof. The drill bit includes a bit body, a journal depending from the bit body, and a disc rotatably mounted on the journal. The disc of the drill bit has PDC cutting elements disposed on it. Also provided is an improved cutting structure for the discs of the drill bit. The cutting structure includes a portion that is comprised from PDC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Peter Thomas Cariveau, Prabhakaran K. Centala, Zhehua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20160319602
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a drill bit may include inserting an attachment end of a journal portion into a cavity of a blade portion. The journal portion includes the attachment end; a journal end opposite from the attachment end; and a journal on the journal end extending downward and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the journal portion. The blade portion includes the cavity extending a distance into the blade portion; and at least one blade extending along the blade portion from adjacent to the cavity to a gauge region of the drill bit. Then, the method includes attaching the journal portion to the blade portion and mounting a roller cone to the journal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Inventor: Zhehua Zhang
  • Patent number: 9033069
    Abstract: A drill bit having a bit body, at least one blade extending radially from the bit body, a plurality of blade cutting elements disposed on each blade, at least one journal extending downwardly and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the drill bit, a roller cone or roller disc mounted rotatably to each journal, and a plurality of cutting elements disposed on each roller cone or roller disc, and methods for making the drill bit are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventor: Zhehua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150101868
    Abstract: A method including of manufacturing a drill bit includes inputting bit characteristics into a simulator. The bit characteristics may include a drill bit mass, coordinates of the bit center of gravity, and an inertia tensor of the bit. The bit center of gravity and a vector of the inertia tensor may be aligned with a bit axis in the simulator. Based on the alignment of the center of gravity and the inertia tensor with the bit axis, new bit characteristics may be determined. A drill bit with the new bit characteristics may be produced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Luca Tedeschi, Gary Portwood, Zhehua Zhang
  • Patent number: 8955413
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a roller cone drill bit may include forming a body of a single piece having an upper end and a lower end; machining at the lower end of the body at least two journals extending downward and radially outward from a central axis of the body; machining at least one of a ball passage, a hydraulic fluid passageway, a grease reservoir, and a lubricant passageway; and mounting roller cones on the at least two journals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Rahul Bijai, Zhehua Zhang, Vikrant Bhadbhade, Prabhakaran K. Centala
  • Publication number: 20140353046
    Abstract: A drill bit includes a bit body having a longitudinal axis extending there through, a plurality of journals extending downward and radially outward from the bit body, each journal having a journal axis extending from a base of the journal through the length of the journal, wherein the journal axis at the base is at a first radial distance from the longitudinal axis, a roller cone rotatably mounted to each of the journals, and at least one blade protruding from the bit body and extending axially and radially along the bit body from a first end to a second end, wherein the first end is at a second radial distance from the longitudinal axis greater than the first radial distance, and wherein the second end is at a gage region of the drill bit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Applicant: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhehua Zhang, Jiaqing Yu, Scott D. McDonough
  • Publication number: 20140196956
    Abstract: A drill bit may include a bit body, comprising: at its upper end, a connection adapted to connect to a drill string; at its lower end, a plurality of journals extending downwardly and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the bit; a plurality of roller cones rotatable mounted on the plurality of journals; and at least three rows of cutting elements disposed on each of the plurality of roller cones, wherein an outermost row has an extension height to diameter ratio greater than a mid row, and the mid has an extension height to diameter ratio greater than an innermost row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 17, 2014
    Applicant: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Prabhakaran K. Centala, Zhehua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20140110181
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a method for analyzing a fixed cutter drill bit, said method including selecting a cutter; selecting an earth formation; simulating drilling performance of the fixed cutter bit having at least once cutter thereon; performing finite element analysis using outputs from the simulating; and outputting stress on the at least one cutter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 24, 2014
    Applicant: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhehua Zhang, Jiaqing Yu
  • Patent number: 8672060
    Abstract: A drill bit includes a bit body comprising at its upper end a connection adapted to connect to a drill string and at its lower end a plurality of journals extending downwardly and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the bit. A plurality of roller cones are rotatably mounted on the plurality of journals and at least three rows of cutting elements are disposed on each of the plurality of roller cones. The outermost row of the at least three rows of cutting elements has an extension height to diameter ratio greater than a mid row, and the mid row has an extension height to diameter ratio greater than an innermost row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Prabhakaran K. Centala, Zhehua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110162893
    Abstract: A drill bit having a bit body, at least one blade extending radially from the bit body, a plurality of blade cutting elements disposed on each blade, at least one journal extending downwardly and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the drill bit, a roller cone or roller disc mounted rotatably to each journal, and a plurality of cutting elements disposed on each roller cone or roller disc, and methods for making the drill bit are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2011
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventor: Zhehua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20110023663
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a roller cone drill bit may include forming a body of a single piece having an upper end and a lower end; machining at the lower end of the body at least two journals extending downward and radially outward from a central axis of the body; machining at least one of a ball passage, a hydraulic fluid passageway, a grease reservoir, and a lubricant passageway; and mounting roller cones on the at least two journals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Rahul Bijai, Zhehua Zhang, Vikrant Bhadbhade, Prabhakaran K. Centala
  • Publication number: 20110024197
    Abstract: A drill bit may include a bit body, comprising: at its upper end, a connection adapted to connect to a drill string; at its lower end, a plurality of journals extending downwardly and radially outward from a longitudinal axis of the bit; a plurality of roller cones rotatable mounted on the plurality of journals; and at least three rows of cutting elements disposed on each of the plurality of roller cones, wherein an outermost row has an extension height to diameter ratio greater than a mid row, and the mid has an extension height to diameter ratio greater than an innermost row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: February 3, 2011
    Applicant: SMITH INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Prabhakaran K. Centala, Zhehua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20070062736
    Abstract: The invention provides an improved drill bit and a method for designing thereof. The drill bit includes a bit body, a journal depending from the bit body, and a disc rotatably mounted on the journal. The disc of the drill bit has PDC cutting elements disposed on it. Also provided is an improved cutting structure for the discs of the drill bit. The cutting structure includes a portion that is comprised from PDC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2005
    Publication date: March 22, 2007
    Applicant: Smith International, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Cariveau, Prabhakaran Centala, Zhehua Zhang