Granted Patent B2

US 11,732,556 · App. 18/166,310 · Granted Aug 22, 2023

Inventor: Christian Eitschberger (Munich, DE)

E21B43/119E21B43/116E21B43/117E21B43/1193

Abstract

Claims (46)

1. An orienting internal assembly, comprising:

at least one shaped charge holder;

two bearing assemblies;

a detonator holder; and

an eccentric weight;

wherein the at least one shaped charge holder and the detonator holder are configured to rotate as a whole.

2. The orienting internal assembly of claim 1 , wherein:

the two bearing assemblies are coaxial and spaced apart; and

the two bearing assemblies are configured to interact with the at least one shaped charge holder to allow rotation of the at least one shaped charge holder and the detonator holder as a whole about a central axis of the two bearing assemblies.

3. The orienting internal assembly of claim 2 , wherein:

each of the two bearing assemblies comprises:

an outer bearing ring,

an inner bearing ring, and

a plurality of bearings disposed between the outer bearing ring and the inner bearing ring;

for each of the two bearing assemblies, the inner bearing ring and outer bearing ring are concentric and coaxial; and

for each of the two bearing rings, the bearings are configured to allow rotation of the inner bearing ring about the central axis within the outer bearing ring.

4. The orienting internal assembly of claim 3 , wherein the at least one shaped charge holder is rotationally fixed to the inner bearing ring of each of the two bearing assemblies.

5. The orienting internal assembly of claim 4 , wherein the detonator holder is configured to receive a detonator.

6. The orienting internal assembly of claim 5 , wherein the detonator holder comprises a detonator holder stem configured to extend longitudinally along the central axis and through a central opening of the first of the two bearing assemblies.

7. The orienting internal assembly of claim 5 , further comprising a detonator adapter configured to retain the detonator holder, wherein the detonator adapter is configured to rotationally fix the detonator holder to the inner bearing ring of the first of the two bearing assemblies.

8. The orienting internal assembly of claim 5 , wherein the eccentric weight also rotates as a whole, along with the shaped charge holder, the detonator holder, and the inner bearing ring of a first of the two bearing assemblies.

9. The orienting internal assembly of claim 5 , further comprising an end connector configured to rotationally fix the shaped charge holder to the inner bearing ring of a second of the two bearing assemblies.

10. The orienting internal assembly of claim 5 , further comprising at least one ground contact plate configured to extend from the detonator holder to contact the inner bearing ring of one of the two bearing assemblies, whereby electrical ground connection for the detonator is through the at least one ground contact plate, the inner bearing ring, the ball bearings, and the outer bearing ring, to the housing.

11. The orienting internal assembly of claim 10 , wherein the at least one ground contact plate is configured to rotate as a whole with the inner bearing ring and the detonator holder.

12. The orienting internal assembly of claim 3 , wherein the outer bearing ring of each of the two bearing assemblies is configured to fit within and contact a longitudinal bore of a housing.

13. The orienting internal assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a detonator having a rotational orientation sensor, wherein the detonator holder rotationally fixes the detonator with respect to the inner bearing ring of a first of the two bearing assemblies.

14. The orienting internal assembly of claim 2 , wherein the orienting internal assembly is configured to be disposed within a longitudinal bore of a housing, and the eccentric weight has a center of gravity offset from the central axis of the two bearing assemblies.

15. The orienting internal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one shaped charge holder comprises a plurality of shaped charge holders, all of which are configured to be rotationally fixed with respect to one another.

16. The orienting internal assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one shaped charge holder comprises two or more rollers configured to contact an inner surface of a housing and rotationally support the at least one shaped charge holder within the housing.

17. A perforating gun assembly comprising:

a housing having a longitudinal bore;

at least one shaped charge holder;

two bearing assemblies;

a detonator holder; and

an eccentric weight;

wherein:

the at least one shaped charge holder, the detonator holder, and the eccentric weight are configured to rotate as a whole about a central axis of the two bearing assemblies; and

the at least one shaped charge holder, two bearing assemblies, detonator holder, and eccentric weight are disposed within the longitudinal bore of the housing.

18. The perforating gun assembly of claim 17 , wherein

the two bearing assemblies are coaxial and spaced apart longitudinally; and

the two bearing assemblies are configured to interact with the at least one shaped charge holder and the eccentric weight to allow rotation of the at least one shaped charge holder and the eccentric weight as a whole about the central axis of the two bearing assemblies within the housing.

19. The perforating gun assembly of claim 18 , wherein:

each of the two bearing assemblies comprises a plurality of bearings disposed between an outer bearing ring and an inner bearing ring;

the inner bearing ring and outer bearing ring of each of the two bearing assemblies are concentric and coaxial; and

for each of the two bearing assemblies, the bearings are configured to allow rotation of the inner bearing ring about the central axis within the outer bearing ring.

20. The perforating gun assembly of claim 19 , wherein the at least one shaped charge holder, the detonator holder, and the eccentric weight are rotationally fixed to the inner bearing ring of each of the two bearing assemblies.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (8)

Cited By (11)

US 1,073,745 US 12,215,576 US 12,221,864 US 12,241,341 US 12,291,945 US 12,326,069 US 12,338,718 US 12,366,142 US 12,398,627 US 12,448,854 US 12,662,915