PDC Bit Design

Bit Profile and Cutter Orientation

Copyright 2002 Smith International, Inc.

All rights reserved.
Objectives

• Understanding Bit Profile

• Bit Profile Influence on Performance

• Back Rake Angle

• Force Balancing
Bit Profile

• Bit profile has a direct influence on:

 Bit stability
 Steerability
 Cutter density
 Durability
 ROP
 Cleaning & Cooling
 Drilling environment
Components of Bit Profile

• Bit profile consists of:

 Apex
 Cone
 Nose
 Shoulder (or Taper)
 Outside Diameter Radius (ODR)
 Gage
Cone Angle

• Apex - Geometrical center of bit

• Cone - Described by its included angle

 Deep cone (~90°)
 Shallow cone (~150°)
Deep Cone Profiles

• Advantages
 High degree of bit stability
 Increase diamond volume in center

• Disadvantages
 Decrease steerability.
 Decrease cleaning efficiency.
 Decrease in bit aggressiveness.
Shallow Cone Profiles

• Advantages
 Increased steerability.
 Increased bit cleaning.
 Increased aggressiveness.

• Disadvantages
 Decreased stability.
 Decreased diamond volume.
Defining Nose Location

• Nose
 Described by its radius and location.

L
R
Nose Radius

• Large radius (R) provides R

higher surface area for
better load distribution in
hard and transitional
drilling.

• Small or sharp radius (r) r

provides higher point
loading on cutters and
suitable for soft
homogeneous formations.
Location From Centerline

• Nose location closer to the

center provides more
surface area and cutter
L
density on the shoulder
 Suitable for soft but abrasive
formations

• Nose location closer to the L

gauge provides more
surface area on the bit face
for better load distribution
 Suitable for harder formation.
Shoulder, ODR & Gage

• Shoulder
 Extends from outside nose tangent to the start of ODR.

• ODR
 “Outside Diameter Radius” provides a smooth transition
between Shoulder and Gauge.

• Gage
 Helps to stabilize the bit and maintain an in gauge hole.
Bit Profile Types

• 4 general types
 Flat
 Short Parabolic
 Medium Parabolic
 Long Parabolic

• Flat profiles are used for harder less abrasive

formations
• Long parabolic profiles are used for softer more
abrasive formations.
Bit Profile Types

Long Parabolic
Medium Parabolic
Short Parabolic
Flat
Bit Profile Types

Long Parabolic
Medium Parabolic
Short Parabolic
Flat
Back Rake Angle

• Angle at which a PDC cutter attacks a formation.

• Higher back rake angles improve impact and wear
resistance.
• Lower back rakes increase ROP.
• Back rakes can be varied to achieve maximum
ROP and durability. + B.R
Back Rake Angle

• More aggressive for drilling • Less aggressive for drilling

softer formations with harder formations and
higher ROP generated lower ROP generated

30°
10°
Typical Back Rake Angles
• Back Rake Angle • Formation Hardness
 5° to 10°  Very soft clays/shales.
 Low angle produces highest
ROP’s

 15°  All formations.

 Best in soft formations (e.g.
shale)

 All formations.
 20°
 Improves cutter life.
 Best in abrasive/sand formations

 Harder formations
 30°
 Typically used on gage
Cutter Placement and Orientation

• Radial Position
 Distance from bit center to center
of PDC wafer.
R.P

• Inclination Angle
 Angle of PDC cutter along the bit
profile relative to the vertical axis
of the bit.

I.A
Cutter Placement and Orientation

• Angular Position

 Angle between a 0° reference line
and a line passing through the bit A.P
and cutter wafer centers.  Ref.

• Side Rake S.R

 Side rake is said to be zero when
the projected plane of the cutter 0
wafer passes through the bit
center.
Cutter Placement and Orientation

• Longitudinal Position
0 REF.
 It is the vertical distance from a
predetermined horizontal plane
to the wafer center. L.P

All this input assists advanced software in modeling

the geometry of formation cut by each cutter and
calculating the associated forces.
Cutter Forces

• Fc=Circumferential Force

• Fr= Radial force

• Fv= Vertical Force (WOB)

• Fn= Normal Force Fc

Fr
Fn
Fv
Force Balancing

• All radial and TIF

circumferential forces are
summed up to determine CIF
the magnitude and
direction of the resultant RIF
imbalance forces.

• The net effect of these two

imbalance forces is a
single force called “total
imbalance force”.
PDC Bit Design

Bit Profile and Cutter Orientation

Copyright 2002 Smith International, Inc.

All rights reserved.