PDC Sensing Element Fabrication Process and Tool

• US 20110266058A1
• Filed: 04/25/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Digiovanni, Anthony A., Monteiro, Othon, Kumar, Sunil, John, Hendrik, Scott, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 8,695,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/57
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/08 Roller bits E21B10/26 takes precedence; roller core bits E21B10/06; characterised by wear resisting parts E21B10/50
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/567 with preformed cutting elements mounted on a distinct support, e.g. polycrystalline inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/00 Survey of boreholes or wells monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

A Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) cutter for a rotary drill bit is provided with an integrated sensor and circuitry for making measurements of a property of a fluid in the borehole and/or an operating condition of the drill bit. A method of manufacture of the PDC cutter and the rotary drill bit is discussed.

Claims

1. A rotary drill bit configured to be conveyed in a borehole and drill an earth formation, the rotary drill bit comprising:

at least one polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter including;

(i) at least one cutting element, and

(ii) at least one transducer configured to provide a signal indicative of at least one of;

(I) an operating condition of the drill bit, and (II) a property of a fluid in the borehole, and (III) a property of the surrounding formation.

2. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one PDC cutting element further comprises a protective layer on a side of the at least one transducer opposite to the at least one cutting element, the protective layer being configured to safeguard a sensing layer including the transducer from abrasive elements.

3. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one transducer further comprises an array of transducers disposed on a pad.

4. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one transducer is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a strain sensor, (ii) an accelerometer, (iii) an inclinometer, (iv) a magnetometer, (v) a temperature sensor, (vi) a carbon nanotube sensor, (vii) an electropotential sensor, (viii) a sensor for carbon/oxygen analysis, (ix) an acoustic sensor, (x) a chemical field effect sensor, (xi) an ion-sensitive sensor, (xii) an angular rate sensor, (xiii) a nuclear sensor, (xiv) a pressure sensor, (xv) a vibrator and (xvi) an electromechanical acoustic transducer.

5. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one PDC cutter further comprises a passivation layer disposed between the at least one cutting element and the at least one transducer.

6. The rotary drill bit of claim 5 further comprising electronic circuitry disposed between the passivation layer and the at least one transducer.

7. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one cutting element is provided with a channel configured to allow flow of a fluid to the at least one transducer.

8. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one transducer is disposed in at least one of:

(i) a cavity in the body of the bit provided with a fluid flow channel, (ii) in the at least one cutting element, (iii) a substrate of the at least one cutting element, and (iv) in a matrix of a bit body.

9. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 further comprising:

an electromagnetic (EM) transceiver in the body of the bit; and

an antenna on the at least one PDC cutter;

wherein the EM transceiver is configured to interrogate the antenna and receive data relating to the signal.

10. The rotary drill bit of claim 1 wherein the at least one cutting element further comprises a first cutting element having a first transducer and a second cutting element having a second transducer responsive to a signal produced by the first transducer.

11. A method of conducting drilling operations, the method comprising:

conveying a rotary drill bit into a borehole and drilling an earth formation; and

using at least one transducer on a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter coupled to a body of the rotary drill bit for providing a signal indicative of at least one of;

(I) an operating condition of the drill bit, and (II) a property of a fluid in the borehole, and (III) a property of the formation.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising using a drill bit having a protective layer on a side of the at least one transducer opposite to the at least one cutting element, and using the protective layer to safeguard a sensing layer including the at least one transducer from external abrasion.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising using, for the at least one transducer, a transducer selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a strain sensor, (ii) an accelerometer, (iii) an inclinometer, (iv) a magnetometer, (v) a temperature sensor, (vi) a carbon nanotube sensor, (vii) an electropotential sensor, (viii) a sensor for carbon/oxygen analysis, (ix) an acoustic sensor, (x) a chemical field effect sensor, (xi) an ion-sensitive sensor, (xii) an angular rate sensor, (xiii) a nuclear sensor, and (xiv) a pressure sensor.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising using, for the at least one PDC cutter, a PDC cutter including a passivation layer disposed between the at least one cutting element and the at least one transducer.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising conveying the signal to electronic circuitry disposed between the protective layer and the at least one transducer.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing a channel for conveying fluid from the borehole to the at least one transducer.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising positioning the at least one transducer at a location selected from:

(i) a cavity in the body of the bit provided with a fluid flow channel, (ii) in the at least one cutting element, (iii) a substrate of the at least one cutting element, (iv) a matrix of a bit body.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing an electromagnetic (EM) transceiver in the body of the bit;

providing an antenna on the at least one PDC cutter; and

using the EM transceiver for interrogating the antenna and receiving data relating to the signal.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating a signal using a transducer on a first cutting element of the rotary drill bit and receiving a signal indicative of a property of the Earth formation using a transducer on a second cutting element of the Rotary drill bit.

20. A method of forming a rotary drill bit, the method comprising:

making at least one polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter including at least one cutting element;

coupling a sensing layer including at least one transducer on the cutting element and

coupling the at least one PDC cutter to a body of the drill bit.

21. The method of forming a rotary drill bit claim 20 wherein coupling the sensing layer further comprises depositing the sensing layer.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein the at least one transducer is configured to provide a signal indicative of at least one of:

(i) an operating condition of the drillbit, (ii) a property of a fluid in the borehole, and (iii) a property of the formation.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising depositing a protective layer for protecting the sensing layer from abrasion during drilling operations.

24. The method of claim 20 wherein making the at least one polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) cutter further comprises:

mounting a plurality of cutting elements to a handle wafer;

adding a filler material to gaps between the plurality of cutting elements;

depositing a passivation layer on top of the filler material and the plurality of cutter elements;

depositing electronic circuitry on top of the passivation layer;

positioning a transducer above the electronic circuitry and coupling an output of the transducer to the electronic circuitry;

forming a protective layer above the transducer;

removing the handle wafer; and

removing the filler material.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein depositing the passivation layer further comprises using Si₃N₄.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein depositing the passivation layer further comprises at least one of:

(i) chemical vapor deposition (CVD), (ii) Low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), (iii) atomic layer deposition (ALD), and (iv) using a sol-gel.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein depositing electronic circuitry on top of the passivation layer further comprises at least one of:

(i) sputter coating, (ii) evaporation, (ii) atomic layer deposition (ALD), (iii) electroplating, (iv) plasma etching, and (iv) wet etching.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein positioning a transducer above the electronic circuitry further comprises at least one of:

(i) chemical vapor deposition (CVD), (ii) low pressure CVD, (iii) plasma etching, (iv) atomic layer deposition, and (v) radio frequency (RF) sputtering.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein forming the protective layer above the transducer further comprises hard materials like diamond-like carbon (DLC).

30. The method of claim 24 wherein forming the protective layer above the transducer further comprises using a conformal material.

31. The method of claim 24 wherein forming the protective layer above the transducer further comprises using at least one of:

(i) chemical vapor deposition, (ii) sintering, (iii) sputtering, (iv) evaporation, and (v) screen printing and curing.