Cutting element apparatuses, drill bits including same, methods of cutting, and methods of rotating a cutting element
View Patent ↗A subterranean drilling system may include a drill string and a rotary drill bit coupled to the drill string. The rotary drill bit may include a bit body and a cutting element coupled to the bit body, with the cutting element being structured to rotate in response to torque applied to the cutting element. The system also may include a cam assembly coupled to the drill string, a cam follower assembly in contact with a cam surface of the cam assembly, and a torque-applying structure coupled to the cam follower assembly. The torque-applying structure may be configured to apply torque to the cutting element in response to relative rotation between the cam assembly and the cam follower assembly.
1. A method of operating a rotary drill bit, the method comprising:
engaging a subterranean formation with a rotary drill bit;
actuating at least one torque-generating device to provide torque at a first magnitude;
amplifying the torque from the first magnitude to a second magnitude;
applying the amplified torque at a second magnitude to at least one cutting element of the rotary drill bit to rotate the at least one cutting element relative to a body of the rotary drill bit in a first direction.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein amplifying the torque to a second magnitude includes applying the torque at the first magnitude to a gear assembly.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein applying the torque at the first magnitude to a gear assembly includes applying the torque at the first magnitude to a first rotary gear having a plurality of teeth, engaging a second rotary gear having a plurality of teeth with the first rotary gear, and defining the second rotary gear to have a larger number of teeth than the first rotary gear.
4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising coupling the first rotary gear with a shaft and coupling the shaft with at least a portion of the at least one torque generating device.
5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising defining the at least a portion of the at least one torque generating device to include a structure having a plurality of engagement features.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein actuating at least one torque-generating device includes engaging one or more of the plurality of engagement features with a push rod.
7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising preventing the at least one cutting element from rotating in a direction opposite to the first direction.
8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising defining the at least one cutting element to include a superabrasive table bonded to a substrate.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising defining the superabrasive table to include polycrystalline diamond.
10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising defining the substrate to include cobalt.
11. The method according to claim 8 , applying the amplified torque at a second magnitude to the at least one cutting element includes applying the amplified torque to the substrate.
12. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising decoupling the at least one cutting element from the at least one torque-generating device when a specified threshold of torque has been reached or exceeded by the at least one torque-generating device.
13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein decoupling the cutting element from the torque-generating device includes actuating a clutch mechanism.
14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising forming the cutting element to include at least a portion of the clutch mechanism.
15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one cutting element includes a plurality of cutting elements.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein actuating at least one torque-generating device to provide torque at a first magnitude includes actuating a plurality of a torque-generating devices and associating each of the plurality of torque-generating devices with one or more of the plurality of cutting elements.
17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein actuating at least one torque-generating device to provide torque at a first magnitude includes actuating a hydraulic assembly.
18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein actuating at least one torque-generating device to provide torque at a first magnitude includes actuating a cam assembly.
19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein applying the amplified torque at a second magnitude to at least one cutting element of the rotary drill bit to rotate the at least one cutting element relative to a body of the rotary drill bit in a first direction includes rotating the at least one cutting element at periodic increments.
20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein applying the amplified torque at a second magnitude to at least one cutting element of the rotary drill bit to rotate the at least one cutting element relative to a body of the rotary drill bit in a first direction includes rotating the at least one cutting element less than 360 degrees.
21. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising rotating the at least one cutting element in a second direction opposite to the first direction.