METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING DRILL BIT PERFORMANCE DATA

• US 20080065331A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Trinh, Tu, Lutes, Paul, Pastusek, Paul, Glasgow, Keith, Sullivan, Eric, Pritchard, Daryl
• Granted Patent: US 7,506,695 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/9
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/08 Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10
• 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 47/017 Protecting measuring instruments

Abstract

Drill bits and methods for sampling sensor data associated with the state of a drill bit are disclosed. A drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation comprises a bit body and a shank. The shank further includes a central bore formed through an inside diameter of the shank and configured for receiving a data analysis module. The data analysis module comprises a plurality of sensors, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured for executing computer instructions to collect the sensor data by sampling the plurality of sensors, analyze the sensor data to develop a severity index, compare the sensor data to at least one adaptive threshold, and modify a data sampling mode responsive to the comparison. A method comprises collecting sensor data by sampling a plurality of physical parameters associated with a drill bit state while in various sampling modes and transitioning between those sampling modes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

collecting sensor data at a sampling frequency by sampling at least one sensor disposed in a drill bit, wherein the at least one sensor is responsive to at least one physical parameter associated with a drill bit state;

analyzing the sensor data to develop a severity index, wherein the analysis is performed by a processor disposed in the drill bit;

comparing the severity index to at least one adaptive threshold; and

modifying a data sampling mode responsive to the comparison.

2. A method, comprising;

collecting background data by sampling at least one physical parameter associated with a drill bit state while in a background mode;

analyzing the background data to develop a background severity index; and

transitioning from the background mode to a logging mode if the background severity index is greater than a first background threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising repeating the acts of collecting the background data and analyzing the background data at a background sampling frequency.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the background data in memory.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

collecting logging data by sampling the at least one physical parameter while in the logging mode;

analyzing the logging data to develop a logging severity index;

transitioning from the logging mode to the background mode if the logging severity index is less than a first logging threshold; and

transitioning from the logging mode to a burst mode if the logging severity index is greater than a second logging threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising repeating the acts of collecting the logging data and analyzing the logging data at a logging sampling frequency.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising storing the logging data in memory.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

collecting burst data by sampling the at least one physical parameter while in the burst mode;

analyzing the burst data to develop a burst severity index;

transitioning from the burst mode to the background mode if the burst severity index is less than a first burst threshold; and

transitioning from the burst mode to the logging mode if the burst severity index is less than a second burst threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising repeating the acts of collecting the burst data and analyzing the burst data at a burst sampling frequency.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the burst data in memory.

11. A method, comprising;

collecting background data by sampling at least one physical parameter associated with a drill bit state while in a background mode;

analyzing the background data to develop a background severity index; and

transitioning from the background mode to a burst mode if the background severity index is greater than a second background threshold.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising repeating the acts of collecting the background data and analyzing the background data at a background sampling frequency.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the background data in memory.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

collecting burst data by sampling the at least one physical parameter while in the burst mode;

analyzing the burst data to develop a burst severity index;

transitioning from the burst mode to the background mode if the burst severity index is less than a first burst threshold; and

transitioning from the burst mode to a logging mode if the burst severity index is less than a second burst threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising repeating the acts of collecting the burst data and analyzing the burst data at a burst sampling frequency.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the burst data in memory.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

collecting logging data by sampling the at least one physical parameter while in the logging mode;

analyzing the logging data to develop a logging severity index;

transitioning from the logging mode to the background mode if the logging severity index is less than a first logging threshold; and

transitioning from the logging mode to the burst mode if the logging severity index is greater than a second logging threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising repeating the acts of collecting the logging data and analyzing the logging data at a logging sampling frequency.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising storing the logging data in memory.