Vibration tool

Abstract

A downhole vibration tool for connection with a pipe string, including a housing, a sleeve contained within the housing, a sleeve bore defined by the sleeve, an annular bore defined between the sleeve and the housing, an unbalanced annular turbine rotatably contained within the annular bore, an inlet for introducing a fluid into the sleeve bore and the annular bore, and an outlet for discharging the fluid from the sleeve bore and the annular bore.

1 . A downhole vibration tool for connection with a pipe string, comprising:
 (a) a housing, the housing having an inner housing surface;   (b) a sleeve contained within the housing, the sleeve having an outer sleeve surface and an inner sleeve surface, wherein the inner sleeve surface defines a sleeve bore extending through the housing, and wherein the inner housing surface and the outer sleeve surface define an annular bore extending through the housing;   (c) a first annular turbine rotatably contained within the annular bore, wherein the vibration tool has a longitudinal tool axis, and wherein the first annular turbine is unbalanced relative to the longitudinal tool axis;   (d) an inlet for introducing a fluid into the sleeve bore and the annular bore; and   (e) an outlet for discharging the fluid from the sleeve bore and the annular bore:.   
     
     
         2 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the vibration tool is adapted to be connected with the pipe string, wherein the pipe string has a nominal inner diameter, wherein the sleeve bore has a sleeve bore diameter, and wherein a ratio of the sleeve bore diameter to the nominal inner diameter of the pipe string is at least 0.5:1. 
     
     
         3 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the first annular turbine has a proximal first turbine end and a distal first turbine end, further comprising a first proximal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the proximal first turbine end and a first distal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the distal first turbine end. 
     
     
         4 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising a proximal first turbine bearing located between the first proximal support ring and the proximal first turbine end and a distal first turbine bearing located between the distal first turbine end and the first distal support ring. 
     
     
         5 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the first proximal support ring and the first distal support ring are fixedly connected with the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the sleeve is supported within the housing by the first proximal support ring. 
     
     
         7 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 6  wherein the sleeve has a proximal sleeve end and wherein the proximal sleeve end is comprised of a projection for engaging with the first proximal support ring in order to limit the movement of the sleeve relative to the first proximal support ring. 
     
     
         8 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a second annular turbine rotatably contained within the annular bore, wherein the second annular turbine is unbalanced relative to the longitudinal tool axis. 
     
     
         9 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the first annular turbine has a proximal first turbine end and a distal first turbine end, further comprising a first proximal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the proximal first turbine end and a first distal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the distal first turbine end. 
     
     
         10 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the second annular turbine has a proximal second turbine end and a distal second turbine end, further comprising a second proximal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the proximal second turbine end and a second distal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the distal second turbine end. 
     
     
         11 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the first distal support ring and the second proximal support ring are comprised of a combined first intermediate support ring. 
     
     
         12 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 10 , further comprising a proximal second turbine bearing located between the second proximal support ring and the proximal second turbine end and a distal second turbine bearing located between the distal second turbine end and the second distal support ring. 
     
     
         13 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising a proximal first turbine bearing located between the first proximal support ring and the proximal first turbine end and a distal first turbine bearing located between the distal first turbine end and the first distal support ring. 
     
     
         14 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the second proximal support ring and the second distal support ring are fixedly connected with the housing. 
     
     
         15 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 14  wherein the first proximal support ring and the first distal support ring are fixedly connected with the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 15  wherein the first distal support ring and the second proximal support ring are comprised of a combined first intermediate support ring. 
     
     
         17 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the first annular turbine is configured to rotate at a first turbine rotation rate at a design fluid energy, wherein the second annular turbine is configured to rotate at a second turbine rotation rate at the design fluid energy, and wherein the first turbine rotation rate is different from the second turbine rotation rate. 
     
     
         18 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the first annular turbine has a first turbine vane angle, wherein the second annular turbine has a second turbine vane angle, and wherein the first turbine vane angle is different from the second turbine vane angle. 
     
     
         19 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the first annular turbine is configured to generate a first turbine torque at a design fluid energy, wherein the second annular turbine is configured to generate a second turbine torque at the design fluid energy, and wherein the first turbine torque is different from the second turbine torque. 
     
     
         20 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 8  wherein the first annular turbine has a first turbine length, wherein the second annular turbine has a second turbine length, and wherein the first turbine length is different from the second turbine length. 
     
     
         21 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 8 , further comprising a third annular turbine rotatably contained within the annular bore, wherein the third annular turbine is unbalanced relative to the longitudinal tool axis. 
     
     
         22 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the first annular turbine has a proximal first turbine end and a distal first turbine end, further comprising a first proximal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the proximal first turbine end and a first distal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the distal first turbine end. 
     
     
         23 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 22  wherein the second annular turbine has a proximal second turbine end and a distal second turbine end, further comprising a second proximal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the proximal second turbine end and a second distal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the distal second turbine end. 
     
     
         24 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the third annular turbine has a proximal third turbine end and a distal third turbine end, further comprising a third proximal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the proximal third turbine end and a third distal support ring contained within the annular bore adjacent to the distal third turbine end. 
     
     
         25 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the first distal support ring and the second proximal support ring are comprised of a combined first intermediate support ring. 
     
     
         26 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 25  wherein the second distal support ring and the third proximal support ring are comprised of a combined second intermediate support ring. 
     
     
         27 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 24 , further comprising a proximal third turbine bearing located between the third proximal support ring and the proximal third turbine end and a distal third turbine bearing located between the distal third turbine end and the third distal support ring. 
     
     
         28 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising a proximal first turbine bearing located between the first proximal support ring and the proximal first turbine end and a distal first turbine bearing located between the distal first turbine end and the first distal support ring. 
     
     
         29 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 28 , further comprising a proximal second turbine bearing located between the second proximal support ring and the proximal second turbine end and a distal second turbine bearing located between the distal second turbine end and the second distal support ring. 
     
     
         30 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the third proximal support ring and the third distal support ring, are fixedly connected with the housing. 
     
     
         31 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 30  wherein the first proximal support ring and the first distal support ring are fixedly connected with the housing. 
     
     
         32 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 31  wherein the second proximal support ring and the second distal support ring are fixedly connected with the housing. 
     
     
         33 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 32  wherein the first distal support ring and the second proximal support ring are comprised of a combined first intermediate support ring. 
     
     
         34 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 33  wherein the second distal support ring and the third proximal support ring are comprised of a combined second intermediate support ring. 
     
     
         35 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the first annular turbine is configured to rotate at a first turbine rotation rate at a design fluid energy, wherein the second annular turbine is configured to rotate at a second turbine rotation rate at the design fluid energy, wherein the third annular turbine is configured to rotate at a third turbine rotation rate at the design fluid energy, and wherein the first turbine rotation rate, the second turbine rotation rate and the third turbine rotation rate are all different from each other. 
     
     
         36 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 21  wherein the first annular turbine has a first turbine vane angle, wherein the second annular turbine has a second turbine vane angle, wherein the third annular turbine has a third turbine vane angle, and wherein the first turbine vane angle, the second turbine vane angle and the third turbine vane angle are all different from each other. 
     
     
         37 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 3  wherein the first annular turbine has a first turbine vane angle, wherein the first proximal support ring defines a plurality of first diverter vanes for directing the fluid through the first proximal support ring, wherein the plurality of first diverter vanes have a first diverter vane angle, and wherein the first diverter vane angle is in a direction opposite to the first turbine vane angle relative to the longitudinal tool axis. 
     
     
         38 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 10  wherein the second annular turbine has a second turbine vane angle, wherein the second proximal support ring defines a plurality of second diverter vanes for directing the fluid through the second proximal support ring, wherein the plurality of second diverter vanes have a second diverter vane angle, and wherein the second diverter vane angle is in a direction opposite to the second turbine vane angle relative to the longitudinal tool axis. 
     
     
         39 . The vibration tool as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the third annular turbine has a third turbine vane angle, wherein the third proximal support ring defines a plurality of third diverter vanes for directing the fluid through the third proximal support ring, wherein the plurality of third diverter vanes have a third diverter vane angle, and wherein the third diverter vane angle is in a direction opposite to the third turbine vane angle relative to the longitudinal tool axis.