Self-adjusting earth-boring tools and related systems and methods of reducing vibrations

Abstract

A method of reducing vibration experienced by an earth-boring tool during a drilling operation involving a combination of crushing and shear cutting a subterranean formation. The method includes setting an initial exposure of a drilling element coupled to an actuation device disposed within a blade of the earth-boring tool to be overexposed or underexposed relative to a primary cutting element disposed at a leading face of the blade by a distance within a range of about 0.5% and about 8.0% of an overall diameter of the primary cutting element, applying weight-on-bit to the earth-boring tool, causing the drilling element to retract toward the actuation device and to be underexposed relative to the primary cutting element, and in response to a drilling event, moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool to change a level of underexposure of the drilling element relative to the primary cutting element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of reducing vibration experienced by an earth-boring tool during a drilling operation involving a combination of crushing and shear cutting a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 setting an initial exposure of a drilling element coupled to an actuation device disposed within a blade of the earth-boring tool to be overexposed relative to a primary cutting element disposed at a leading face of the blade by a distance within a range of about 0.5% and about 8.0% of an overall diameter of the primary cutting element;   applying weight-on-bit to the earth-boring tool;   causing the drilling element to retract toward the actuation device and to be underexposed relative to the primary cutting element; and   in response to a drilling event, moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool to change a level of underexposure of the drilling element relative to the primary cutting element.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein setting an initial exposure of a drilling element relative to the primary cutting element comprises setting the distance of the initial exposure to be within a range of about 1.0% and about 4.0% of the overall diameter of the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein setting an initial exposure of a drilling element relative to the primary cutting element comprises setting the distance of the initial exposure to be within a range of about 2.0% and about 3.0% of the overall diameter of the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool reduces an axial vibration experienced by the earth-boring tool. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool reduces a torsional vibration experienced by the earth-boring tool. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool reduces a lateral vibration experienced by the earth-boring tool. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to a drilling event, moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool comprises, in response to a change in the subterranean formation, moving the drilling element relative to the body of the earth-boring tool. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to a drilling event, moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool comprises, in response to an interruption in an application of weight-on-bit, moving the drilling element relative to the body of the earth-boring tool. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool comprises reducing contact between the primary cutting element and the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein moving the drilling element relative to a body of the earth-boring tool comprises reducing a depth-of-cut of the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         11 . A method of reducing vibration experienced by an earth-boring tool during a drilling operation involving a combination of crushing and shear cutting a subterranean formation, the method comprising:
 setting an initial exposure of a drilling element coupled to an actuation device disposed within a blade of the earth-boring tool relative to a primary cutting element disposed at a leading face of the blade;   causing the drilling element to move relative to the actuation device and to have a second exposure relative to the primary cutting element by applying weight-on-bit;   maintaining at least substantially continuous contact between the drilling element and the subterranean formation during the drilling operation; and   in response to a drilling event, causing the drilling element to move relative to a body of the earth-boring tool to at least substantially maintain contact between the drilling element and the subterranean formation during and subsequent to the drilling event.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein causing the drilling element to move relative to a body of the earth-boring tool to at least substantially maintain contact between the drilling element and the subterranean formation comprises reducing a level of underexposure of the drilling element relative to the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein causing the drilling element to move relative to a body of the earth-boring tool to at least substantially maintain contact between the drilling element and the subterranean formation comprises overexposing the drilling element relative to the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein setting an initial exposure of a drilling element comprises setting the drilling element to be overexposed relative to the primary cutting element disposed at the leading face of the blade. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein causing the drilling element to move relative to the actuation device and to have a second exposure relative to the primary cutting element comprises causing the drilling element to retract toward the actuation device and to be underexposed relative to the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein setting an initial exposure of a drilling element comprises setting the drilling element to be underexposed relative to the primary cutting element disposed at the leading face of the blade. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein causing the drilling element to move relative to a body of the earth-boring tool comprises reducing contact between the primary cutting element and the subterranean formation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein causing the drilling element to move relative to a body of the earth-boring tool comprises reducing a depth-of-cut of the primary cutting element. 
     
     
         19 . An earth-boring tool, comprising:
 a body;   a plurality of blades extending from the body;   at least one rotatable cutting structure assembly coupled to the body;   an actuation device disposed at least partially within a blade of the plurality of blades, the actuation device comprising:
 a first fluid chamber; 
 a second fluid chamber; 
 at least one reciprocating member configured to reciprocate back and forth within the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber, the at least one reciprocating member having a front surface and a back surface; 
 a hydraulic fluid disposed within and at least substantially filling the first fluid chamber and the second fluid chamber; and 
 a connection member attached to the at least one reciprocating member and extending out of the second fluid chamber; and 
   a drilling element removably coupled to the connection member of the actuation device.   
     
     
         20 . The earth-boring tool of  claim 19 , wherein the drilling element exhibits a biased overexposure relative to a primary cutting element disposed at a leading face of the blade by a distance within a range of about 0.5% and about 8.0% of an overall diameter of the primary cutting element.