Nozzles including secondary passages, drill assemblies including same and associated methods
View Patent ↗Nozzles for drilling tools, such as rotary-type drag bits and roller cone bits, a drilling tool and drilling assembly comprising nozzles, and methods of conveying drilling fluid through a nozzle for use in drilling subterranean formations are provided. A nozzle may include a substantially cylindrical nozzle body having an axis and an inlet port with a primary passage extending therethrough, and at least one secondary passage that diverges from the primary passage at an exit port.
1. A drilling assembly for drilling subterranean formations, the drilling assembly comprising:
a drill body having at least one nozzle port and an inner plenum in fluid communication with the at least one nozzle port; and
a nozzle coupled to the at least one nozzle port of the drill body in fluid communication with the inner plenum, the nozzle comprising:
a substantially cylindrical nozzle body having an axis, an inlet port and an exit end surface, the exit end surface being substantially planar;
a primary passage extending through the substantially cylindrical nozzle body from the inlet port to the exit end surface and substantially aligned with the axis; and
at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extending at least partially through the substantially cylindrical nozzle body to substantially the same planar exit end surface of the substantially cylindrical nozzle body and diverging from the primary passage, the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage having a cross-sectional area shaped generally as a segment of an annulus symmetrically radially distributed about the primary passage in the exit end surface of the substantially cylindrical nozzle body.
2. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends from the primary passage, below a restriction of the primary passage, to the exit end surface of the nozzle.
3. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the substantially cylindrical nozzle body comprises an outer side surface receivable into a drill bit nozzle port for engagement therewith, and an inlet end surface comprising the inlet port.
4. The drilling assembly of claim 3 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends from the inlet end surface to the exit end surface.
5. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends from the primary passage to the exit end surface.
6. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage comprises at least two arcuate slit-shaped secondary passages.
7. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the primary passage comprises a substantially larger hydraulic cross section than the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage.
8. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein one of the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage is in fluid communication with the primary passage.
9. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends through the substantially cylindrical nozzle body from an inner surface of the primary passage to the exit end surface of the substantially cylindrical nozzle body.
10. The drilling assembly of claim 1 , wherein the drill body is a body of a drag-type rotary drill bit or a roller cone drill bit.
11. A nozzle for a drilling tool for drilling subterranean formations, the nozzle comprising:
a substantially cylindrical nozzle body having an axis, an inlet port and an exit end surface, the exit end surface being substantially planar;
a primary passage extending through the substantially cylindrical nozzle body from the inlet port to the exit end surface and substantially aligned with the axis; and
at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extending at least partially through the substantially cylindrical nozzle body to substantially the same planar exit end surface of the substantially cylindrical nozzle body and diverging from the primary passage, the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage having a cross-sectional area shaped generally as a segment of an annulus symmetrically radially distributed about the primary passage in the exit end surface of the substantially cylindrical nozzle body.
12. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage diverges from the primary passage directly or substantially adjacent the exit end surface of the nozzle.
13. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the substantially cylindrical nozzle body comprises an outer side surface engageably receivable into a drill bit, and an inlet end surface comprising the inlet port.
14. The nozzle of claim 13 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends from the inlet end surface to the exit end surface.
15. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends from the primary passage to the exit end surface.
16. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage comprises at least two arcuate slit-shaped secondary passages.
17. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the primary passage comprises a substantially larger hydraulic cross section than the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage.
18. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein one of the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage is in fluid communication with the primary passage.
19. The nozzle of claim 11 , wherein the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage extends through the substantially cylindrical nozzle body from an inner surface of the primary passage.
20. A method of conveying drilling fluid through a nozzle for use on a rotary drilling assembly for forming a subterranean borehole, the method comprising:
introducing a drilling fluid into an inlet end of a nozzle;
directing a majority of the drilling fluid received by the inlet end of the nozzle through a primary passage to a substantially planar exit end surface of the nozzle to form a main cone spray pattern;
directing another portion of the drilling fluid through at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage to substantially the same planar exit end surface of the nozzle to form a secondary spray pattern having a cross-sectional area shaped generally as a segment of an annulus;
diverging the drilling fluid through the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage from the drilling fluid directed through the primary passage; and
distributing the diverted drilling fluid symmetrically radially about the primary passage.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising directing the drilling fluid through the at least one arcuate slit-shaped secondary passage to fan divergently from the drilling fluid exiting the primary passage.