Apparatuses and methods for determining temperature data of a component of an earth-boring drilling tool

• Main Author: CHENG XIAOMIN C
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 02.06.2015
• Subjects: ACOUSTICS; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING,NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; MINING; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PHYSICS; SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

Components, such as a cutting element for an earth-boring drilling tool, include an ultrasonic transducer coupled therewith and configured to transmit an acoustic signal therethrough, and transmit a data signal to a data acquisition unit in response to receiving a returning echo of the acoustic signal. An earth-boring drilling tool comprises a bit body including a plurality of components, an ultrasonic transducer, and a data acquisition unit operably coupled with the ultrasonic transducer. The data acquisition unit may be configured to receive the data signal and determine a temperature distribution of the component based, at least in part, on a time-of-flight of the acoustic signal and the returning echoes. Methods for forming such components and measuring a temperature of such components may relate to coupling and implementing such an ultrasonic transducer with a component of an earth-boring drilling tool.