IP Library Granted Patent US 11,180,989
Granted Patent B2
US 11,180,989 · App. 16/026,922 · Granted Nov 23, 2021

Apparatuses and methods for forming an instrumented cutting for an earth-boring drilling tool

Inventors: Wanjun Cao (The Woodlands, TX); Steven W. Webb (The Woodlands, TX); Juan Miguel Bilen (The Woodlands, TX)
Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC
E21B49/003E21B10/42E21B10/567E21B12/02E21B10/5735
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,180,989
App. No.
16/026,922
Granted
Nov 23, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An instrumented cutting element, an earth-boring drilling tool, and related methods are disclosed. The instrumented cutting element may include a substrate base, a diamond table disposed on the substrate base, a sensor disposed within the diamond table, a lead wire coupled to the sensor and disposed within a side trench formed within the substrate base, and a filler material disposed within the side trench. The earth-boring drilling tool may include securing the instrumented cutting element to a blade of a bit body. A related method may include forming the instrumented cutting element and earth-boring drilling tool.

Claims (43)

1. An instrumented cutting element for an earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:

a substrate base;

a diamond table disposed on the substrate base and having a cutting surface opposite the substrate base;

a sensor disposed within a channel of the diamond table, the channel isolated from the cutting surface, the sensor having at least substantially the same shape as the channel and being surrounded by diamond material of the diamond table, wherein the sensor is configured to obtain data relating to at least one parameter related to at least one of a diagnostic condition of the instrumented cutting element, a drilling condition, a wellbore condition, a formation condition, or a condition of the earth-boring drilling tool;

a lead wire coupled to the sensor and disposed within a side trench along an exterior side surface of the substrate base, the side trench extending into at least a portion of the diamond table; and

a filler material disposed within the side trench, the side trench filled by the filler material.

2. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the filler material is selected from the group consisting of metallic adhesives, ceramic-metallic adhesives, ceramic adhesive, silicate high temperature glue, epoxies, and pastes.

3. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a thermocouple, a thermistor, a chemical sensor, an acoustic transducer, a gamma detector, a dielectric sensor, a resistivity sensor, a resistance temperature detector (RTD) and a piezoresistive sensor.

4. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional sensor disposed within the diamond table.

5. The instrumented cutting element of claim 4 , wherein the sensor and the at least one additional sensor are offset from each other in different planes relative to the cutting surface of the diamond table.

6. The instrumented cutting element of claim 4 , wherein the sensor and the at least one additional sensor are positioned within a same plane relative to the cutting surface of the diamond table.

7. The instrumented cutting element of claim 6 , wherein the at least one additional sensor is positioned in an additional channel within the diamond table that extends parallel to the channel.

8. The instrumented cutting element of claim 6 , wherein the at least one additional sensor is positioned in an additional channel within the diamond table that is angled relative to the channel at an angle that is greater than zero degrees.

9. The instrumented cutting element of claim 6 , wherein the channel follows a curved path proximate a peripheral edge of the diamond table and the at least one additional sensor is positioned within an additional curved channel proximate the peripheral edge of the diamond table.

10. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 1 , wherein the channel has a uniform aspect ratio at or greater than 20:1.

11. The earth-boring drilling tool of claim 1 , further comprising a conduit disposed within a back portion of the substrate base with the lead wire passing through the side trench and through the conduit having a connector on an end of the lead wire.

12. The instrumented cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the sensor extends across the diamond table.

13. A method of forming an earth-boring drilling tool, the method comprising:

forming a substrate base and a diamond table on the substrate base with an embedded metal insert for an instrumented cutting element, the diamond table having a cutting surface opposite the substrate base;

forming a channel within the diamond table responsive to leaching at least a portion of the diamond table to remove the embedded metal insert, the channel isolated from the cutting surface;

forming a side trench within at least a side portion of the substrate base and extending into at least a portion of the diamond table to form contiguous open space with the channel;

inserting a sensor within the channel and an associated lead wire coupled to the sensor within the side trench, the sensor having at least substantially the same shape as the channel and being surrounded by diamond material of the diamond table, wherein the sensor is configured to obtain data relating to at least one parameter related to at least one of a diagnostic condition of the instrumented cutting element, a drilling condition, a wellbore condition, a formation condition, or a condition of the earth-boring drilling tool; and

disposing a filler material within the side trench, the filler material filling the side trench.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the substrate base and diamond table includes sintering a diamond powder with the embedded metal insert during an HTHP process.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising embedding two or more metal inserts within the diamond powder prior to the HTHP process.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the two or more metal inserts are metal wires having different characteristics.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the different characteristics include one or more of a different shape, a different length, or a different diameter.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

forming a cavity within a bottom portion of the substrate base; and

inserting and securing a conduit to the substrate base.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein forming the side trench and forming the cavity are performed by at least one of a laser removal process or electrical discharge machining.

20. An earth-boring drilling tool, comprising:

a body including at least one blade having an aperture extending therethrough;

an instrumented cutting element secured to the at least one blade, the instrumented cutting element comprising:

a substrate base;

a diamond table disposed on the substrate base;

a sensor disposed within the diamond table, wherein the sensor is configured to obtain data relating to at least one parameter related to at least one of a diagnostic condition of the instrumented cutting element, a drilling condition, a wellbore condition, a formation condition, or a condition of the earth-boring drilling tool;

a lead wire coupled to the sensor and disposed within a side trench extending from the sensor within the diamond table along an exposed side surface of the substrate base to a central cavity defined by a surface of the substrate base opposite the diamond table; and

a filler material disposed within the side trench, the side trench filled by the filler material.

21. A method of operating an earth-boring drilling tool, the method comprising:

obtaining measurement data with a sensor embedded within a diamond table of an instrumented cutting element during a drilling operation on a subterranean earth formation, the measurement data indicative of at least one characteristic indicative of a diagnostic condition of the instrumented cutting element, a drilling condition, a wellbore condition, a formation condition, or a condition of the earth-boring drilling tool;

transmitting the measurement data to a data collection module through a lead wire coupled to the sensor, the lead wire passing through a side trench and into a conduit, the side trench along at least a portion of a diamond table coupled to a substrate base and extending along an exterior side surface of the substrate base, at least a portion of the conduit being external to the earth-boring drilling tool; and

determining the at least one characteristic via analysis of the measurement data by the data collection module.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 4, 2020
From: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
To: BAKER HUGHES HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 054602/0780 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2018
From: CAO, WANJUN; WEBB, STEVEN W.; BILEN, JUAN MIGUEL
To: BAKER HUGHES, A GE COMPANY, LLC
Reel/Frame 046947/0247 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200011171A1 · Jan 9, 2020
Cited By (4)
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