US 11,111,732 B2 · Drill bits with incorporated sensing systems

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to systems, methods, and apparatuses for obtaining sensor data from sensors incorporated into a drill bit during a drilling operation to form a wellbore. The obtained sensor data may be used to control an aspect of the drilling operation. The sensors may be incorporated into drill bit cutters of a drill bit, a drill bit body of a drill bit, or both. Example sensors include acoustic sensors, pressure sensor, vibration sensor, accelerometers, gyroscopic sensors, magnetometer sensors, and temperature sensors.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A drill bit for forming a wellbore, the drill bit comprising:

a body comprising a connector for a drill string;
a drill bit cutter coupled to the body, the drill bit cutter comprising:
a substrate with a first end and an opposite second end;
an end cap formed on the first end of the substrate, the end cap having a cutting surface operable to engage formation rock to form the wellbore;
and
an acoustic sensor attached to the second end of the substrate, the acoustic sensor configured to transmit acoustic waves and receive reflected acoustic waves;
and
a processor electrically connected to the acoustic sensor, the processor operable to determine a condition of the drill bit cutter based on at least one of a phase difference and a frequency difference between a transmitted acoustic wave and a received acoustic wave of the acoustic sensor.

5 more elements

An apparatus for controlling a drilling operation using a drill bit for forming a wellbore, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;
and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium coupled to the one or more processors and storing programming instructions for execution by the one or more processors, the programming instructions to instruct the one or more processors to:
receiving data from an acoustic sensor of a drill bit cutter of the drill bit, the acoustic sensor attached to a first end of a substrate of the drill bit cutter during formation of a wellbore, the drill bit cutter comprising an end cap formed on an opposite second end of the substrate, the end cap having a cutting surface operable to engage formation rock to form the wellbore;
determine a condition of the drill bit cutter based on the received data from the acoustic sensor by determining at least one of a phase difference and a frequency difference between a transmitted acoustic wave and a received acoustic wave of the acoustic sensor;
and
alter a drilling parameter of the drill bit based on the determined condition.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Drill bits with incorporated sensing systems

Life of this patent

Drill bits with incorporated sensing systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20