Apparatuses and methods for obtaining at-bit measurements for an earth-boring drilling tool

• US 10,689,977 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2018
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Scott, Danny E., Mollart, Timothy Peter, Brandon, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Yong-Suk
• Application Number:
  US16/031,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20180320513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/001 Cutting tools, earth boring or grinding tool other than table ware
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2005/005 Article surface comprising protrusions
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/06 of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools B22F7/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 26/00 Alloys containing diamond or cubic or wurtzitic boron nitride, fullerenes or carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/54 the bit being of the rotary drag type, e.g. fork-type bits
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/55 with preformed cutting elements
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/56 Button-type inserts E21B10/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/567 with preformed cutting elements mounted on a distinct support, e.g. polycrystalline inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 12/00 Accessories for drilling tools
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 12/02 Wear indicators
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/00 Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/013 Devices specially adapted for supporting measuring instruments on drill bits
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 49/003 by analysing drilling variables or conditions E21B49/005 takes precedence; systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions E21B44/00

Abstract

An earth-boring drilling tool comprises a cutting element. The cutting element comprises a substrate, a diamond table, and at least one sensing element formed from a doped diamond material disposed at least partially within the diamond table. A method for determining an at-bit measurement for an earth-boring drill bit comprises receiving an electrical signal generated within a doped diamond material disposed within a diamond table of a cutting element of the earth-boring drill bit, and correlating the electrical signal with at least one parameter during a drilling operation.

Claims

1. An earth-boring tool, comprising:

a body; and

at least one instrumented cutting element attached to the body, the at least one instrumented cutting element comprising;

a diamond table having a cutting surface and at least one chamber defined by inner surfaces of the diamond table;

at least one sensing element located within the at least one chamber, the at least one sensing element comprising a doped diamond material;

a substrate attached to the diamond table, the doped diamond material of the at least one sensing element extending from the cutting surface to an interface between the substrate and the diamond table; and

at least one electrical conductor in communication with the at least one sensing element, the at least one electrical conductor configured to transmit an electrical signal away from the at least one sensing element.

2. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, further comprising a dielectric material disposed within the at least one chamber of the diamond table such that the dielectric material is between the doped diamond material and the diamond table.

3. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, further comprising a conductive contact coupled with the substrate on a surface thereof opposite the diamond table, wherein the substrate is configured to be electrically conductive such that the at least one electrical conductor is in communication with the at least one sensing element through the substrate and the conductive contact.

4. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source in communication with the at least one sensing element, the power source configured to energize the at least one sensing element through the at least one electrical conductor; and

a data collection module in communication with the at least one sensing element, the data collection module configured to detect a signal from the at least one sensing element through the at least one electrical conductor.

5. The earth-boring tool of claim 4, wherein the body includes:

a pocket in which the at least one instrumented cutting element is at least partially disposed; and

wiring passing through the pocket coupling the at least one electrical conductor to at least one of the power source and the data collection module.

6. The earth-boring tool of claim 5, wherein:

the at least one sensing element comprises two or more sensing elements and the at least one electrical conductor comprises two or more electrical conductors;

each electrical conductor of the two or more electrical conductors is coupled with a respective sensing element of the two or more sensing elements; and

the electrical signal from each sensing element is read individually using a processor of the data collection module.

7. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing element is configured to use at least one of resistivity sensing, piezoresistivity sensing, or thermistor sensing.

8. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing element is at least substantially surrounded by a non-doped diamond material of the diamond table.

9. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the diamond table is planar and the cutting surface comprises a major plane, the at least one sensing element extending in a direction generally transverse to the major plane of the cutting surface.

10. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical conductor is at least partially aligned with and coupled directly to the at least one sensing element at the interface between the substrate and the diamond table.

11. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical conductor comprises the doped diamond material.

12. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing element comprises two sensing elements, one of the two sensing elements being configured to provide a positive pole and the other of the two sensing elements being configured to provide a negative pole, the doped diamond material of the at least one sensing element being electrically conductive.

13. The earth-boring tool of claim 1, further comprising a ceramic sheath located and configured to electrically isolate the at least one electrical conductor from the substrate.

14. A method of forming an earth-boring tool, comprising:

providing at least one instrumented cutting element, the at least one instrumented cutting element comprising;

a diamond table having a cutting surface and at least one chamber defined by inner surfaces of the diamond table;

at least one sensing element located within the at least one chamber, the at least one sensing element comprising a doped diamond material;

a substrate attached to the diamond table, the doped diamond material of the at least one sensing element extending from the cutting surface to an interface between the substrate and the diamond table; and

at least one electrical conductor in communication with the at least one sensing element, the at least one electrical conductor configured to transmit an electrical signal away from the at least one sensing element; and

attaching the at least one instrumented cutting element to a body of an earth-boring tool.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a data collection module in communication with the at least one sensing element, the data collection module configured to detect a signal from the at least one sensing element through the at least one electrical conductor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the data collection module comprises locating the data collection module remote from the body of the earth-boring tool.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising calibrating an electrical signal response received from the at least one sensing element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein calibrating the electrical signal response comprises:

applying a known load to the at least one instrumented cutting element; and

measuring the electrical signal response received from the at least one sensing element.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the at least one instrumented cutting element comprises:

providing a conductive contact on a surface of the substrate opposite the diamond table, the substrate being electrically conductive; and

configuring the substrate and the conductive contact to transmit electrical signals between the at least one sensing element and the at least one electrical conductor located remote from the at least one sensing element.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein attaching the at least one instrumented cutting element to the body of the earth-boring tool comprises configuring the at least one instrumented cutting element to measure temperature proximate the cutting surface.