Cutting elements comprising sensors, earth-boring tools having such sensors, and associated methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9739093-B2
Application number	US-201514865835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2011
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A cutting element for an earth-boring tool includes a body having a longitudinal axis, a generally planar volume of hard material carried by the body, and a sensor affixed to the body. The sensor may be configured to sense at least one of stress and strain. An earth-boring tool includes a cutting element disposed at least partially within a pocket of a body. Methods of forming cutting elements comprise securing a generally planar volume of hard material to a body, attaching a sensor to the body, and configuring the sensor. Methods of forming earth-boring tools comprise forming a cutting element and securing the cutting element within a recess in a body of the earth-boring tool. Methods of forming wellbores comprise rotating an earth-boring tool comprising a cutting element and measuring at least one of stress and strain.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cutting element for an earth-boring tool, comprising:
a body having a longitudinal axis;
a volume of hard material carried by the body, wherein a line normal to a cutting surface of the volume of hard material is oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the body; and
a sensor carried by the body and configured to sense at least one property of the body selected from the group consisting of a strain, a load, a torque, and a bending moment.

2. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the volume of hard material is brazed to the body.

3. The cutting element of claim 1 , further comprising an adhesive affixing the sensor to the body.

4. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a tri-axial load cell.

5. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the volume of hard material is bonded to a substrate and the substrate is attached to the body.

6. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a first portion having a first lateral dimension measured along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a second portion having a second lateral dimension measured along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis different from the first lateral dimension.

7. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the volume of hard material does not intersect the longitudinal axis of the body.

8. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed within a blind hole in the body.

9. The cutting element of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is disposed over an outer surface of the body.

10. An earth-boring tool, comprising:
a body comprising a pocket; and
a cutting element disposed at least partially within the pocket, the cutting element comprising:
a body having a longitudinal axis;
a volume of hard material carried by the body, wherein a line normal to a cutting surface of the volume of hard material is oriented at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the body; and
a sensor carried by the body and configured to sense at least one property of the body selected from the group consisting of a strain, a load, a torque, and a bending moment.

11. The earth-boring tool of claim 10 , further comprising a data acquisition system on or in a shank of the earth-boring tool.

12. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , further comprising an electrical connection between the sensor and the data acquisition system.

13. The earth-boring tool of claim 11 , further comprising a wireless communication device configured to transfer signals between the sensor and the data acquisition system.

14. The earth-boring tool of claim 10 , wherein the pocket is disposed within a cone region of the earth-boring tool.

15. A method, comprising:
securing a volume of hard material to a body to form a cutting element such that a line normal to a cutting surface of the volume of hard material is oriented at an acute angle to a longitudinal axis of the body; and
securing a sensor to the body, the sensor configured to sense at least one property of the body when the cutting element is mounted on an earth-boring tool and used to cut subterranean formation material, the at least one property of the body selected from the group consisting of a strain, a load, a torque, and a bending moment.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein securing the sensor to the body comprises forming a recess within the body and disposing the sensor within the recess.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising reducing a lateral dimension of a section of the body.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein securing the sensor to the body comprises attaching the sensor around the section of the body having the reduced lateral dimension.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising securing the cutting element within a recess in a body of an earth-boring tool such that volume of hard material is exposed to the subterranean formation material when the earth-boring tool is used to cut the subterranean formation material.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising forming a blind hole in the body, securing the sensor to the body comprises disposing the sensor within the blind hole.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Inc
• Baker Hughes A Ge Co Llc

Inventors

• Trinh Tu Tien
• Sullivan Eric C
• Cheng Xiaomin C

Classifications

• E21B47/00

  Survey of boreholes or wells (monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid E21B21/08) · CPC title

• E21B10/00 Primary

  Drill bits (specially adapted for deflecting the direction of boring {E21B7/064}; with means for collecting substances E21B27/00) · CPC title

• E21B10/567 Primary

  with preformed cutting elements mounted on a distinct support, e.g. polycrystalline inserts · CPC title

• E21B10/43

  characterised by the arrangement of teeth or other cutting elements · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title