Estimating environmental parameter of cutter elements

Abstract

A drill bit includes a bit body configured to rotate about a central axis in a cutting direction of rotation. The bit body includes a bit face. The drill bit also includes a blade extending radially along the bit face and having a leading edge and a trailing edge. The blade includes a pocket proximate to the leading edge and configured to receive a cutter element, a cavity behind the pocket and configured to receive an electronic device, and a passage coupling the cavity to the pocket and configured to receive a probe coupled to the electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drill bit, comprising:
 a bit body configured to rotate about a central axis in a cutting direction of rotation, wherein the bit body includes a bit face;   a blade extending radially along the bit face and having a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the blade comprises:
 a pocket proximate to the leading edge and configured to receive a cutter element; 
 a cavity behind the pocket and configured to receive an electronic device; and 
 a passage coupling the cavity to the pocket and configured to receive a probe coupled to the electronic device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , further comprising a pressure cap configured to seal the cavity and isolate the cavity from an external environment. 
     
     
         3 . The drill bit of  claim 1 , further comprising a cutter element arranged in the pocket and coupled to the blade, wherein the cutter element comprises:
 a substrate;   a cutting layer coupled to the substrate proximate to the leading edge, the cutting layer comprising a cutting face and a back side; and   a passage through the substrate to the back side of the cutting layer;   wherein the passage of the cutter element is configured to couple to the passage of the blade when the cutter element is arranged in the pocket.   
     
     
         4 . The drill bit of  claim 3 , further comprising a probe arranged in the passage of the cutter element, wherein the probe comprises a measuring tip configured to abut the back side of the cutting layer. 
     
     
         5 . The drill bit of  claim 4 , further comprising a biasing element configured to bias the measuring tip into contact with the back side of the cutting layer. 
     
     
         6 . The drill bit of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the electronic device further comprises a housing;   the probe further comprises a shoulder; and   the biasing element comprises a spring coupled to the housing and to the shoulder, the biasing element configured to bias the shoulder away from the housing.   
     
     
         7 . The drill bit of  claim 4 , further comprising an adhesive configured to maintain contact between the measuring tip and the back side of the cutting layer. 
     
     
         8 . The drill bit of  claim 4 , wherein the probe comprises a thermocouple. 
     
     
         9 . The drill bit of  claim 4 , wherein the electronic device is configured to acquire and store data from the probe. 
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 acquiring data from a probe positioned proximate to a backside of a cutter element of a drill bit, wherein the data is indicative of a measured environmental parameter;   downloading the acquired data from an electronic storage device; and   processing the downloaded data to correlate the measured environmental parameter with an actual environmental parameter proximate a cutting surface of the cutter element.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the environmental parameter comprises temperature, heat flux, vibration, strain, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a thickness of a cutting layer of the cutter element varies over time, and wherein processing further comprises:
 correlating a first measured environmental parameter with a first actual environmental parameter based on a first thickness of the cutting layer; and   correlating a second measured environmental parameter with a second actual environmental parameter based on a second thickness of the cutting layer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising retrieving the drill bit to a surface location prior to downloading the acquired data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the drill bit comprises a blade having a leading edge and a trailing edge, wherein the blade comprises:
 a pocket proximate to the leading edge and configured to receive the cutter element;   a cavity behind the pocket and configured to receive the electronic device; and   a passage coupling the cavity to the pocket and configured to receive the probe coupled to the electronic device.