Sensor-enabled cutting elements for earth-boring tools, earth-boring tools so equipped, and related methods
View Patent ↗Sensor-enabled cutting elements for an earth-boring drilling tool may comprise a substrate base, and a cutting tip at an end of the substrate base. The cutting tip may comprise a tapered surface extending from the substrate base and tapering to an apex of the cutting tip, and a sensor coupled with the cutting tip. The sensor may be configured to obtain data relating to at least one parameter related to at least one of a drilling condition, a wellbore condition, a formation condition, and a condition of the earth-boring drilling tool. The sensor-enabled cutting elements may be included on at least one of an earth-boring drill bit, a drilling tool, a bottom-hole assembly, and a drill string.
1. A method of forming a sensor-enabled cutting element of an earth-boring drilling tool, the method comprising:
forming a cutting element having a substrate base and a conical cutting tip, the conical cutting tip having a lateral surface that tapers from the substrate base to an apex, wherein forming the cutting element includes:
forming a fully functional non-instrumented cutting element;
removing a portion of the non-instrumented cutting element;
forming a chamber within the cutting tip by removing another a portion of the cutting tip from a surface of the cutting tip that was exposed by removing the portion; and
coupling a sensor to the cutting tip by inserting the sensor within the chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the portion of the non-instrumented cutting element includes removing the substrate base from the cutting tip.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the portion of the non-instrumented cutting element includes cutting off a portion of the cutting tip that includes the apex.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising re-attaching the portion of the cutting tip that includes the apex after inserting the sensor within the chamber.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the cutting element includes forming the apex to have a shape selected from a point and rounded.