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

• US 9,212,546 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Element Six (Holdings) Ltd. (Anglo American PLC), Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Element Six (Holdings) Ltd. (Anglo American PLC), Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Scott, Danny E., Mollart, Timothy Peter, Brandon, John Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Yong-Suk (Philip)
• Application Number:
  US13/586,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20130270007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 instrumented cutting element for use on an earth-boring tool, the instrumented cutting element comprising:

a substrate;

a diamond table bonded to the substrate;

at least one sensing element disposed at least partially within the diamond table, the at least one sensing element comprising a doped diamond material wherein the substrate comprises at least one conduit coupled and at least partially aligned with the at least one sensing element and extending at least substantially through the substrate; and

wherein the at least one conduit comprises an electrical conductor configured to transmit an electrical signal away from the at least one sensing element.

2. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the doped diamond material includes polycrystalline diamond and a dopant selected from the group consisting of boron, phosphorus, and sulfur.

3. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the doped diamond material is embedded within the diamond table.

4. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the doped diamond material extends through a thickness of the diamond table.

5. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one conduit further comprises a dielectric material surrounding the electrical conductor and isolating the electrical conductor from the substrate.

6. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, further comprising an electrical contact coupled with the substrate on a surface opposite the diamond table.

7. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the doped diamond material is formed in one of an annular shape, a linear shape, and a rectangular shape.

8. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing element includes a plurality of sensing elements each comprising a doped diamond material disposed at least partially within the diamond table.

9. The instrumented cutting element of claim 8, wherein the sensing elements of the plurality of sensing elements are concentrically arranged.

10. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the diamond table comprises polycrystalline diamond including inter-bonded diamond grains with interstitial spaces between the inter-bonded diamond grains, at least a portion of the interstitial spaces being at least substantially free of metal solvent catalyst material.

11. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensing element comprises two or more sensing elements and the at least one conduit comprises two or more conduits, wherein each conduit of the two or more conduits is coupled and at least partially aligned with a respective sensing element of the two or more sensing elements.

12. An earth-boring tool, comprising:

a tool body; and

an instrumented cutting element attached to the tool body, the instrumented cutting element comprising;

a substrate;

a diamond table bonded to the substrate;

at least one sensing element disposed at least partially within the diamond table, the at least one sensing element comprising a doped diamond material, wherein the substrate comprises at least one conduit coupled and at least partially with the at least one sensing element and extending at least substantially through the substrate; and

wherein the at least one conduit comprises an electrical conductor configured to transmit an electrical signal away from the at least one sensing element.

13. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the earth-boring tool comprises an earth-boring rotary drill bit.

14. The earth-boring tool of claim 12, wherein the doped diamond material includes polycrystalline diamond and a dopant selected from the group consisting of boron, phosphorus, and sulfur.

15. A method for obtaining a measurement at an earth-boring tool, the method comprising receiving an electrical signal through a conduit extending at least substantially through a substrate of the instrumented cutting element from a doped diamond material disposed at least partially within a diamond table of the instrumented cutting element attached to the earth-boring tool;

and

correlating the electrical signal with at least one parameter during a drilling operation, wherein the correlating the electrical signal with at least one parameter includes correlating a characteristic of a subterranean formation with the electrical signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein correlating the electrical signal with at least one parameter includes correlating a characteristic of the instrumented cutting element with the electrical signal.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising actively controlling the drilling operation responsive to data derived from the electrical signal.