Drill bit with an adjustable steering device
View Patent ↗A drill bit is provided that includes a force application device on a body of the drill bit. The force application device includes a floating member and a force application member configured to extend from the floating member to apply a force on a wellbore wall when the drill bit is used to drill a wellbore and an actuator configured to actuate the force application member to apply the force to a wellbore wall during drilling of the wellbore.
1. A drill bit, comprising:
a force application device on a body of a drill bit, the force application device including a floating member and a force application member configured to extend from the floating member to apply a force on a wellbore wall when the drill bit is used to drill a wellbore, wherein the force application device is positioned proximate a crown of the drill bit and the drill bit is configured to be coupled to a bottomhole assembly; and
an actuator configured to actuate the force application member to apply the force to a wellbore wall during drilling of the wellbore.
2. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein the floating member is configured to rotate around the body or remain substantially stationary relative to the body of the drill bit.
3. The drill bit of claim 1 , comprising a bearing between the floating member and the body of the drill bit configured to enable the floating member to move relative to the body of the drill bit.
4. The drill bit of claim 1 , further comprising a bearing and seal between the floating member and the body of the drill bit configured to enable the floating member to move relative to the body of the drill bit.
5. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein the force application member is pivotally coupled to the floating member.
6. The drill bit of claim 5 , wherein the force application member pivots along one of an axis perpendicular to a longitudinal drill bit axis and an axis parallel to a longitudinal drill bit axis.
7. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein the force application member does not cut into the wellbore wall.
8. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein the force application member is substantially flush with the surface of the member when the force application member is not extended.
9. The drill bit of claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises one selected from the group consisting of: a hydraulic actuator; a linear electrical device; a shape memory alloy; and an electromechanical actuator.
10. A method of making a drill bit, comprising:
providing a force application device on a body of the drill bit and positioned proximate a crown of the drill bit, the drill bit being configured to be coupled to a bottomhole assembly, the force application device including a floating member and a force application member on the force application device, the force application member configured to extend from the floating member to apply a force on a wellbore wall when the drill bit is used to drill a wellbore; and
providing an actuator configured to actuate the force application member to apply the force to a wellbore wall during drilling of the wellbore.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the floating member comprises providing the floating member configured to rotate around the body or remain substantially stationary relative to the body of the drill bit.
12. The method of claim 10 , comprising providing a bearing or a bearing and seal between the floating member and the body of the drill bit configured to enable the floating member to move relative to the body of the drill bit.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the force application member is pivotally coupled to the floating member.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the force application member pivots along an axis perpendicular to one of a longitudinal drill bit axis and an axis parallel to a longitudinal drill bit axis.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the force application member is substantially flush with the surface of the member when the force application member is not extended.
16. An apparatus for drilling a wellbore, comprising:
a bottomhole assembly;
a drill bit configured to be coupled to the bottomhole assembly, the drill bit including a force application device positioned proximate a crown of the drill bit and on a body of the drill bit, the force application device further including a floating member and a force application member configured to extend from the floating member to apply a force on a wellbore wall when the drill bit is used to drill a wellbore; and
an actuator configured to actuate the force application member to apply the force to a wellbore wall during drilling of the wellbore.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the force application member does not include cutters.
18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the floating member is configured to rotate around the body or remain substantially stationary relative to the body of the drill bit.