CUTTER WITH DIAMOND SENSORS FOR ACQUIRING INFORMATION RELATING TO AN EARTH-BORING DRILLING TOOL

• US 20120132468A1
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Element Six (Holdings) Ltd. (Anglo American PLC), Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Scott, Dan E., DiGiovanni, Anthony A.
• Application Number:
  US13/296,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20120132468A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 175/50
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2203/062 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2203/0625 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2203/0655 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2203/068 Crystal growth
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2203/0685 Crystal sintering
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 3/062 characterised by the composition of the materials to be processed
• CPC Class Codes: B24D 99/005 Segments of abrasive wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/46 characterised by wear resisting parts, e.g. diamond inserts
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/5676 having a cutting face with different segments, e.g. mosaic-type inserts
• 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

Abstract

Methods and associated tools and components related to generating and obtaining performance data during drilling operations of a subterranean formation is disclosed. Performance data may include thermal and mechanical information related to earth-boring drilling tool during a drilling operation are disclosed. For example, a cutter of an earth-boring drilling tool may include a substrate with a cutting surface thereon. The cutter may further include at least one diamond sensor coupled with the cutting surface, and a conductive pathway operably coupled with the at least one diamond sensor. The at least one diamond sensor may be configured to generate a piezoelectric signal in response to an applied stimulus.

Claims

1. A cutter for an earth-boring drilling tool, the cutter comprising:

a cutting element; and

at least one diamond crystal at least partially embedded in the cutting element, the at least one diamond crystal configured to generate a piezoelectric signal when the cutting element is drilling a borehole.

2. The cutter of claim 1, further comprising a data acquisition module configured to receive the piezoelectric signal from the at least one diamond crystal.

3. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least diamond crystal further comprises a single diamond crystal.

4. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one diamond crystal further comprises a polycrystalline crystal.

5. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric signal is indicative of an applied pressure.

6. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the cutting element further comprises a conductive pathway in communication with the at least one diamond crystal.

7. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one diamond crystal further comprises a plurality of diamond crystals.

8. The cutting element of claim 1, wherein the cutting element further comprises at least a polycrystalline diamond material.

9. The cutting element of claim 1, further comprising a substrate on which the cutting element is disposed.

10. A method for forming a cutting element for an earth-boring drilling tool, the method comprising:

at least partially embedding at least one diamond crystal in a cutting element, the at least one diamond crystal being configured to generate a piezoelectric signal when the cutting element is drilling a borehole.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising forming the cutting element at least partially of a polycrystalline diamond material.

12. The method of claim 11, applying a HPHT synthesis to the cutting element after the at least one diamond crystal is embedded in the cutting element.

13. The method of claim 12, forming a cutting surface on the cutting element after the HPHT synthesis.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the at least one diamond crystal is exposed on the cutting surface.

15. A method for measuring a property of a cutting element of an earth-boring drilling tool, the method comprising:

determining the property of the cutting element using a piezeoelectric response of a diamond crystal embedded in the cutting element.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the property comprises pressure.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the property is determined while the cutting element is engaging an earthen formation.