Reliable, long-life, high-speed bearings with high thrust are needed for roller cone bits used in hard rock drilling. Even though incremental increases in bearing performance and life have been achieved over the past decades, the goal of dramatically increasing speed and life under the high bit loads necessary for hard rock drilling has proven to be extremely difficult. Continued improvements in bearing materials have resulted in only modest increases in the bearing life of the roller cone bits. This project will develop a high-speed bearing design concept that has the potential to significantly increase both the speed and load limits of the bearings used in roller cone bits. Estimated cost savings can be 15 to 20 percent if the bit life can be doubled.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee:Successful completion of this project should result in a reliable, long-life, high-speed bearing with high thrust capability for roller cone bits used in hard rock drilling. It will significantly improve efficiency and reduce the cost of drilling hard rock wells.
