An improved drill bit for use in drilling operations in a wellbore comprising a bit body including a plurality of bit legs, each supporting a rolling cone cutter, a lubrication system for a rolling cone cutter, at least one lubrication sensor for monitoring at least one condition of said lubricant during drilling operations, and an electronics member in the bit body for recording data obtained form said lubrication sensor.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
"This is a Continuation, of prior application Ser. No. 09/702,921 filed 27 Oct. 2000 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,886, for Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and Recording of the Operating Condition of a Downhole Drill Bit During Drilling Operations, which is a continuation-in-part of the following, commonly owned U.S. patent application: Ser. No. 09/012,803, filed 23 Jan. 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,230,822, entitled Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and Recording of the Operating Condition of a Downhole Drill Bit During Drilling Operations; which is a continuation-in-part of the following commonly owned patent application U.S. patent application: Ser. No. 08/760,122, filed 3 Dec. 1996, entitled Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and Recording of Operating Conditions of a Downhole Drill Bit During Drilling Operations, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,480 on 29 Sep. 1998; which is a continuation under 37 CFR 1.62 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/643,909, filed 7 May 1996 now abandoned, entitled Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and Recording of Operating Conditions of a Downhole Drill Bit During Drilling Operations; which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/390,322, filed 16 Feb. 1995 now abandoned, entitled Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and Recording of Operating Conditions of a Downhole Drill Bit During Drilling Operations. All of these prior applications are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth. Additionally, this application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/161,620, filed 27 Oct. 1999, entitled Method and Apparatus for Monitoring and Recording of the Operating Condition of a Downhole Drill Bit During Drilling Operations. This provisional patent application is incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth.
A detection apparatus for use in a vessel for measuring a fluid includes a tubular connected to a housing containing sensors, wherein the housing includes a top, a bottom, and a hole disposed in the top of the housing. The housing containing sensors includes an outer surface and a sloped inner surface sloping from the outer surface toward a central axis of the housing and intersecting with the hole. In one embodiment, two or more housing containing sensors can be included with detection apparatus. A pressure sensor, having a diaphragm flush mounted in the sloped inner surface, can be disposed in the hole. Signaling device can be disposed in the hole for communications between the sensors and a processor. The processor receives data from the sensors and converts the data to values for transmission to an auxiliary device.
Drill bits and methods for sampling sensor data associated with the state of a drill bit are disclosed. A drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation comprises a bit body and a shank. The shank further includes a central bore formed through an inside diameter of the shank and configured for receiving a data analysis module. The data analysis module comprises a plurality of sensors, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured for executing computer instructions to collect the sensor data by sampling the plurality of sensors, analyzing the sensor data to develop a severity index, comparing the sensor data to at least one adaptive threshold, and modifying a data sampling mode responsive to the comparison. A method comprises collecting sensor data by sampling a plurality of physical parameters associated with a drill bit state while in various sampling modes and transitioning between those sampling modes.
Drill bits and methods for sampling sensor data associated with the state of a drill bit are disclosed. A drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation comprises a bit body and a shank. The shank further includes a central bore formed through an inside diameter of the shank and configured for receiving a data analysis module. The data analysis module comprises a plurality of sensors, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured for executing computer instructions to collect the sensor data by sampling the plurality of sensors, analyzing the sensor data to develop a severity index, comparing the sensor data to at least one adaptive threshold, and modifying a data sampling mode responsive to the comparison. A method comprises collecting sensor data by sampling a plurality of physical parameters associated with a drill bit state while in various sampling modes and transitioning between those sampling modes.
Drill bits and methods for sampling sensor data associated with the state of a drill bit are disclosed. A drill bit for drilling a subterranean formation comprises a bit body and a shank. The shank further includes a central bore formed through an inside diameter of the shank and configured for receiving a data analysis module. The data analysis module comprises a plurality of sensors, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured for executing computer instructions to collect the sensor data by sampling the plurality of sensors, analyze the sensor data to develop a severity index, comparing the sensor data to at least one adaptive threshold, and modifying a data sampling mode responsive to the comparison. A method comprises collecting sensor data by sampling a plurality of physical parameters associated with a drill bit state while in various sampling modes and transitioning between those sampling modes.
