KR20150117670A - Acoustic emission toughness testing for pdc, pcbn, or other hard or superhard material inserts - Google Patents

Abstract

The acoustic emission test apparatus includes a first surface, an acoustic sensor, a test cutter including an indenter and a load coupled to the first surface. The load is applied to the indenter, which transfers the load to the first surface. The acoustic sensor is communicatively coupled to the test cutter and detects one or more acoustic events occurring therein. The acoustic emission test system includes a data recorder coupled to the test apparatus. The data recorder records the data from the test apparatus. Based on the received data, the toughness of the test cutter can be objectively determined and graded compared to the toughness of other test cutters. The load ramps up to the peak load, remains for a period of time, and ramps down. Cutters from the same type of cutter as the test cutter have similar toughness.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to an acoustic emission toughness test for PDC, PCBN or other hard or ultra hard material inserts,

Related application

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 754,738, filed on April 6, 2010, entitled " Acoustic Emission Toughness Testing For PDC, PCBN, Or Other Hard Or Superhard Material Inserts, Which is incorporated herein by reference.

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 754,784, filed on April 6, 2010, entitled " Acoustic Emission Toughness Testing For PDC, PCBN, Or Other Hard Or Superhard Material Inserts ", now U.S. Patent No. 8,322,217 And US Patent Application No. 12 / 769,221, filed April 28, 2010, entitled " Acoustic Emission Toughness Testing For PDC, PCBN, Or Other Hard Or Superhard Materials " U.S. Patent Application No. 12 / 963,913, filed December 9, 2010, entitled " Other Hard Or Superhard Materials, " and U. S. Patent Application No. < RTI ID = 0.0 > No. 13 / 194,205, filed June 2, 2011, entitled " Acoustic Emission Toughness Testing Having Smaller Noise Ratio, " filed Jun. 2, 2011, It is for.

Technical field

The present invention relates generally to methods, apparatus, and software for testing the intrinsic strength, or toughness, of hard or ultra-hard materials, and more particularly, Devices, and software for testing the intrinsic strength, or toughness, of rigid materials.

1 illustrates an ultra hard material 100 insertable within a downhole tool (not shown), such as a drill bit or reamer, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. One example of an ultra hard material 100 includes a cutting element 100 for a rock bit, or a cutter or insert, as shown in FIG. However, the ultra-hard material 100 may be formed in a different structure depending on the application field to be used. The cutting element 100 typically includes a support 110 having a contact surface 115 and a cutting table 120. Cutting table 120 is fabricated using an ultra hard layer bonded to contact surface 115 by a sintering process, according to one example. ("PCD"), or polycrystalline cubic boron nitride ("PCBN"), while the support table 110 is generally made of tungsten carbide-cobalt or tungsten carbide, And a polycrystalline ultra hard material layer, such as a polycrystalline super hard material layer. These cutting elements 100 are manufactured according to processes and materials known to those skilled in the art. Although cutting table 120 is shown having a substantially planar outer surface, in other embodiments cutting table 120 may have an outer surface of another shape, such as a dome, concave, or other non- Lt; / RTI > Although some exemplary configurations for the cutting element 100 are provided, other configurations and structures known to those skilled in the art may be used depending on the application. Although rock drilling can be used as an ultra-hard material 100 and is an application as described below, the super-hard material 100 can be applied to various other applications including, but not limited to, machining, woodworking, and masonry Can be used in the field.

Multiple PCD, PCBN, hard and ultra-hard material grades can be used in a cutter (100) for use in a variety of applications, such as drilling a variety of rock formations using multiple drill bit designs or machining multiple metals or materials. Do. A common problem associated with these cutters 100 includes that the cutting table 120 breaks, breaks, partially cracks, cracks and / or partly peels off during use. This problem leads to premature failure of the cutting table 120 and / or the support 110. Typically, a large amount of stress occurring on the cutting table 120 in the region where the cutting table 120 contacts the soil formation during drilling can cause this problem. This problem increases drilling costs due to costs associated with repair, downtime, and labor costs. End users, such as bit designers or field technical support engineers, therefore choose the cutter 100 with the best performance grade for any given drilling or machining operation to reduce the occurrence of this common problem. For example, the end user selects the appropriate cutter 100 by balancing the wear resistance and impact resistance of the cutter 100 determined using conventional methods. Typically, the information available for an end user to select a grade of cutter 100 that is appropriate for a particular application may include historical data records showing performance of several grades of PCD, PCBN, hard or ultra-hard material in a particular field and / It is derived from laboratory function tests that attempt to follow various drilling or machining conditions while testing the various cutters 100. Currently, two major categories of laboratory function tests are used in the drilling industry. These tests are wear abrasion tests and impact tests.

An ultra hard material 100 comprising a polycrystalline diamond compact ("PDC") cutter 100 was tested for abrasion resistance using two conventional test methods. The PDC cutter 100 includes a cutting table 120 made of PCD. Figure 2 shows a shelf 200 for testing abrasive wear resistance using a conventional granite log test. Although one exemplary arrangement of the apparatus 200 for the shelf 200 is provided, other apparatus configurations known to those skilled in the art may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment.

2, the shelf 200 includes a chuck 210, a tailstock 220, and a tool rest 230 disposed between the chuck 210 and the tailstock 220. As shown in FIG. The target cylinder 250 has a first end 252, a second end 254 and a side wall 258 extending from the first end 252 to the second end 254. According to a conventional granite log test, the side wall 258 is an exposed surface 259 that is in contact with the ultra hard component 100 during testing. The first end 252 is coupled to the chuck 210 while the second end 254 is coupled to the tailstock 220. The chuck 210 is configured to rotate so that the target cylinder 250 also rotates along the central axis 256 of the target cylinder 250. The tailstock 220 is configured to hold the second end 254 in place while the target cylinder 250 is rotating. The target cylinder 250 is made of a single homogeneous material, typically granite. However, other types of rock have been used for the target cylinder 250, and these other rock types include, but are not limited to, Jackforck sandstone, Indiana limestone, Berea sandstone, Carthage marble, Champlain black marble, Berkley granite, Sierra white granite, Texas pink granite and Georgia gray granite.

The PDC cutter 100 is fitted to the tool rest 230 of the lathe such that the PDC cutter 100 contacts the exposed surface 259 of the target cylinder 250 and moves back and forth across the exposed surface 259. The tool rest 230 has an inward feed rate to the target cylinder 250. The abrasive wear resistance of the PDC cutter 100 is determined as the wear rate, which is defined as the volume of the removed target cylinder 250 versus the volume of the removed PDC cutter 100. Alternatively, instead of measuring the volume, the PDC cutter 100 may be used to measure the distance traveled across the target cylinder 250 to quantify the abrasion resistance of the PDC cutter 100. Alternatively, other methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to determine abrasion resistance using the granite log test. The operation and configuration of the shelf 200 is known to those skilled in the art. A description of this type of test can be found in Eaton, BA, Bower, Jr., AB, and Martis, JA, "Manufactured Diamond Cutters Used In Drilling Bits" Journal of Petroleum Technology, May 1975, 543-551 Society of Petroleum Engineers paper 5074 -PA, which was published in the Journal of the Petroleum Technology in May 1975, and also by Maurer, William C. Advanced Drilling Techniques, Chapter 22, The Petroleum Publishing Company, 1980, pp. -591, which is incorporated herein by reference.

Figure 3 shows a vertical planer 300 for testing abrasive wear resistance using a vertical boring mill ("VBM") test or a vertical turret lathe ("VTL") test. Although one exemplary device configuration for VBM 300 is provided, other device configurations may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of this exemplary embodiment. The vertical ground plane 300 includes a rotary table 310 and a tool holder 320 disposed on the rotary table 310. The target cylinder 350 has a first end 352, a second end 354 and a sidewall 358 extending from the first end 352 to the second end 354. According to a conventional VBM test, the second end 354 is an exposed surface 359 that contacts the ultra hard material 100 during testing. The diameter of the target cylinder 350 is typically about 30 inches to about 60 inches, but this diameter may be larger or smaller.

The first end 352 is mounted on the lower turntable 310 of the VBM 300 so that the exposed surface 359 faces the tool holder 320. The PDC cutter 100 is mounted in the tool holder 320 above the exposed surface 359 of the target cylinder and contacts the exposed surface 359. The target cylinder 350 is rotated so that the tool holder 320 moves the PDC cutter 100 away from the center of the exposed surface 359 of the target cylinder to its edge and back to the center of the exposed surface 359 of the target cylinder . The tool holder 320 has a predetermined downward feed rate. The VBM method allows the placement of a greater load on the PDC cutter 100 and the larger the target cylinder 350, the larger the volume of rock that is the object of operation of the PDC cutter 100. [ The target cylinder 350 is typically made of granite, but the target cylinder can be any of a variety of types including, but not limited to, Jack Fork sandstone, Indiana limestone, Berea sandstone, Carthage marble, Champlane black marble, Berkeley granite, Sierra White granite, Pink granite and Georgian gray granite.

The abrasive wear resistance of the PDC cutter 100 is determined as the wear rate, which is defined as the volume of the removed target cylinder 350 versus the volume of the removed PDC cutter 100. Alternatively, instead of measuring the volume, the PDC cutter 100 may be used to measure the distance traveled across the target cylinder 350 to quantify the abrasive abrasion resistance of the PDC cutter 100. Alternatively, other methods known to those skilled in the art can be used to determine abrasion resistance using VBM testing. The operation and configuration of the VBM 300 is known to those skilled in the art. A description of this type of test can be found in Bertagnolli, Ken and Vale, Roger, "Understanding and Controlling Residual Stresses in Thick Polycrystalline Diamond Cutters for Enhanced Durability," US Synthetic Corporation, 2000, The entirety of which is incorporated by reference.

In addition to testing abrasive abrasion resistance, the PDC cutter 100 can also be tested for resistance to impact loads. 4 shows a drop tower arrangement 400 for testing the impact resistance of super-hard parts using a "drop hammer" test in which a metal weight 450 is suspended on a cutter 100 and then dropped onto a cutter, / RTI > The "drop hammer" test attempts to follow the type of load that the PDC cutter 100 can encounter when it transitions from one shape to another or when it experiences lateral and axial vibrations. The impact test results allow the grades of the various cutters to be based on their impact strength, but this grade does not make predictions according to how the cutters 100 perform in the actual field.

Referring to FIG. 4, the drop tower device 400 includes a super hard material 100, such as a PDC cutter, a target fixture 420, and a strike plate 450 disposed over the super hard material 100. The PDC cutter 100 is secured within the target fixture 420. The strike plate 450, or weight, is typically made of steel and placed on the PDC cutter 100. However, the strike plate 450 can be made of other materials known to those skilled in the art. The PDC cutter 100 maintains a diamond table 120 and a backrake angle 415 of the PDC cutter 100 that is typically tilted up towards the strike plate 450. The range of the slope inclination angle 415 is known to those skilled in the art.

The strike plate 450 is repeatedly dropped onto the blade of the PDC cutter 100 until the edge of the PDC cutter 100 breaks or breaks. This test is also referred to as a "side impact" test because the strike plate 450 impacts the exposed edges of the diamond table 120. Failures typically occur at the diamond table 120, or at the contact surface 115 between the diamond table 120 and the carbonized support 110. The "drop hammer" test is very sensitive to the shape of the edge of the diamond table 120. If the corners of the table 120 are slightly sloped, the test results can vary greatly. The total energy consumed to cause the initial burst in the diamond table 120 is recorded in the form of Joules. In the case of a cutter 100 having greater impact resistance, the strike plate 450 may fall in accordance with a predetermined schedule that increases the height and exerts a greater impact energy on the cutter 100, thereby causing a failure. However, this "drop hammer" test has the disadvantage that this method requires a lot of the test cutters 100 to achieve valid statistical sampling, which can compare the relative impact resistance between the cutter types . This test is not suitable for providing a result that reflects the actual impact resistance of the entire cutter 100, since it can recognize the impact load in the downhole environment. While this test has a static impact, the actual impact is dynamic. The number of shocks per second may be as high as 100 hertz ("Hz"). In addition, the degree of damage to the cutter is subjectively assessed by the trained eye and compared to the damage caused by the other cutters.

The results of the various abrasion tests available on the market are generally such that they can be reasonably matched to actual field performance, but not in the case of conventional impact tests. Although there is some correlation between the results of conventional impact tests and actual field trials, it is difficult / difficult or inaccurate to predict how the cutters will behave in actual field trials, as the data is usually very scattered. Further, many ruptures occurring in the cutter can not be detected when evaluating the toughness of the cutter, since they are not detected using such conventional tests.

Also, since bit selection is an important process, it is important for the bit to know the mechanical properties of the various rocks to be drilled. One of the most important parameters used for current bit selection is the unconfined compressive strength ("UCS") of the rock, which can be directly measured on the core sample or indirectly evaluated from log data. However, bit selection should not depend entirely on the UCS of the rock, since the UCS may be misleading, especially if the rock UCS is larger than 15000 psi and is brittle and has a low tear toughness (K _1C ). Therefore, when choosing an appropriate drill bit, the fracture toughness of the rock should also be considered.

Other features and aspects of the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of a specific illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 shows an ultra hard material insertable in a downhole tool according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a shelf for testing abrasive abrasion resistance using a conventional granite log test.
Figure 3 shows a vertical groundworker for testing abrasive wear resistance using a vertical ground probe test or a vertical turret lathe test.
Figure 4 shows a drop tower arrangement for testing the impact resistance of a super hard component using a "drop hammer" test.
5 shows a perspective view of an acoustic emission test system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the acoustic emission test apparatus of Figure 5 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of a cutter holder as shown in Figure 5, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 shows a perspective view of the acoustic emission test apparatus of Figure 5 with an indenter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention removed from the cutter holder.
Figure 9 shows a perspective view of an acoustical emission test system in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 10 shows a schematic block diagram of the data writer of Figure 5 according to an exemplary embodiment.
Figure 11 illustrates graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 2 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 12 shows graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 5 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 13 illustrates graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 30 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
14 illustrates graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 40 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
15A shows graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter type undergoing loads up to about 45 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 15B shows a graphic cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter type undergoing loads up to about 30 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 16 illustrates a flow diagram of a method for analyzing data points received from an acoustic sensor in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, including a Loop 1 method and a Loop 2 method.
Figure 17 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of the Loop 1 method of Figure 16 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 18 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of the Loop 2 method of Figure 16 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 19 illustrates a graphical cutter acoustic emission representation for a load-bearing cutter in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 20 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a graphic cutter acoustic emission representation for a load-bearing cutter in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 21 shows a cumulative distribution representation for each actual sound event in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 22 shows a block diagram of the processor of Figure 10 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment.
Figure 23 shows a rock sample that can be tested in the acoustic emission test systems of Figures 5 and 9, respectively, instead of the cutter of Figure 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
Figure 24 shows the acoustic emission test apparatus of Figure 5 inserted into a pressurizable chamber in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
It should be understood, however, that the drawings are only illustrative of exemplary embodiments of the invention and, therefore, should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention, since the invention may include other equivalents.

The present invention relates to a method, apparatus and software for testing the intrinsic strength, or toughness, of a hard or ultra hard material using acoustic emission. The present invention also relates to a downhole tool, such as a drill bit or reamer, which utilizes a hard or ultra-hard substance or component having intrinsic strength or toughness determined from, for example, an associated hard or ultra hard material subjected to testing using acoustic emission To a device and / or a tool. Although a description of exemplary embodiments is provided below with respect to a PDC cutter, other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced with other types of apparatus, including, but not limited to, PCBN cutters, rock samples, or other But may be applicable to other types of hard or ultra hard materials, including hard or ultra hard materials. For example, hard or ultra hard materials include cemented tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, tungsten carbide matrix coupons, ceramics, or chemical vapor deposition ("CVD") coated inserts. The hard or ultra hard materials also include, but are not limited to, rock samples including hard rock samples obtained from drill holes and / or bonded rock samples.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is better understood by reading the following description of non-limiting and exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like parts of each of the figures are identified by like reference numerals and are briefly described do. Figure 5 shows a perspective view of an acoustic emission test system 500 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the acoustic emission test apparatus 505 of Figure 5 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, an acoustic emission testing system 500 includes an acoustic emission testing device 505 communicatively coupled to a data recorder 590. [ The acoustic emission testing apparatus 505 includes a cutter holder 510, a cutter 100, an indenter 550, and an acoustic sensor 570. However, in certain embodiments, the cutter holder 510 is optional. Although cutter 100 is shown in the exemplary embodiment, rock sample 2300 (Fig. 23) replaces cutter 100 in an alternate exemplary embodiment.

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of a cutter holder 510 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 5, 6 and 7, the cutter holder 510 includes a first surface 712, a second surface 714, and a side surface 716. The first surface 712 lies in a plane that is substantially parallel to the plane on which the second surface 714 lies. The side surface 716 extends from the first surface 712 to the second surface 714. According to some exemplary embodiments, the side surface 716 is substantially perpendicular to at least one of the first surface 712 and the second surface 714. According to an alternative exemplary embodiment, the side surface 716 is not substantially perpendicular to either the first surface 712 or the second surface 714. Although cutter holder 510 is made of steel, according to another exemplary embodiment, cutter holder 510 may be made of any metal, wood, or other material that can withstand loads 580 applied as described in more detail below And other suitable materials known to those skilled in the art. The load 580 may range from about 0 kilo Newtons to about 70 kilo Newtons. In certain exemplary embodiments, suitable materials can be machined or molded and can propagate sound. In certain exemplary embodiments, suitable materials are capable of propagating sound at a rate of at least about one kilometer per second.

The cutter holder 510 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape wherein the first surface 712 has a substantially circular shape and the second surface has a substantially circular shape and the side surface 716 is substantially arcuate arcuate shape. However, the side surface 716 includes an engagement portion 730, which is a substantially flat or flat surface and extends from the first surface 712 to the second surface 714. [ The engaging portion 730 provides a surface for coupling the acoustic sensor 570 to the cutter holder 510. In certain exemplary embodiments, the engaging portion 730 does not extend over the entire length from the first surface 712 to the second surface 714. [ In some exemplary embodiments, the acoustic sensor 570 has a magnitude such that the acoustic sensor 570 can be coupled to the side surface 716 having an arcuate shape. Thus, in such an exemplary embodiment, the coupling portion 730 is optional. Although one exemplary shape is provided for the cutter holder 510, the cutter holder 510 may be formed of other geometric or non-geometric shapes, such as a rectangular shaped cylinder or a triangular shaped cylinder, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment. Can be formed in a geometric shape.

A cavity 720 is formed in the cutter holder 510 and is capable of receiving some other hard or ultra hard material such as a cutter 100 or a rock sample 2300 (FIG. 23) . The cavity 720 has a size slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the cutter 100 so that the cutter 100 can easily and freely fit within the cavity 720. The cavity 720 extends from the first surface 712 toward the second surface 714, but does not reach the second surface 714. In another exemplary embodiment, the cavity 720 extends from the first surface 712 to the second surface 714 and passes through the cutter holder 510 to form a hole in the cutter holder 510. Cavity 720 is circular in shape, but in other exemplary embodiments is any other geometric or non-geometric shape. The cavity 720 is formed by machining the cutter holder 510 or molding the cutter holder 510 such that the cavity 720 is formed therein. Alternatively, the cavity 720 may be formed using other methods known to those skilled in the art. In certain exemplary embodiments, the cavity 720 is formed in a manner that ensures that the cutter 100 is properly aligned in the same manner each time the cutter 100 is inserted into the cavity 720.

The cutter 100 has been described above with respect to FIG. 1 and is applicable to the present exemplary embodiment. The cutter 100 includes a support 110 and a cutter table 120 formed or joined to the top of the support 110. In an exemplary embodiment, the cutter table 120 is formed of a PCD, but in an alternate exemplary embodiment, the cutter table 120 may be formed of other materials, such as PCBN, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment. . Although the cutter 100 has a flat cutter table 120 or has a flat surface, the cutter table 120 may have a dome shape, a concave shape, or any other shape known to those skilled in the art.

The cutter 100 includes a "raw" cutter as well as a finished / finished or grounded cutter. A "raw" cutter is incomplete and is typically a cutter out of a pressing cell. Embodiments of the present invention enable testing for all of these cutter types. Since cutter manufacturers can test "raw" cutters according to embodiments of the present invention, cutter manufacturers can reliably meet specifications early in the cutter production process. If the cutter manufacturer determines that the "raw" cutter 100 does not meet the proper specifications, the cutter manufacturer may make the necessary changes to the operating parameters to obtain a "good" cutter before proceeding with the cutter production process. Additionally, a "raw" cutter can be tested at a lower kilo-Newton level, or load, to ensure that a "raw" cutter will not crack under a given load. If cracks occur during the test of the "raw" cutter, the cutter manufacturer can stop the additional costs associated with completing and grinding these "raw" cutters, thereby avoiding unnecessary cost spending. Thus, each "incomplete" cutter can be tested through an acoustical emission test system 500 that reliably uses the lower load level so that the cutter 100 is a "good" cutter.

Referring to FIG. 6, the cutter 100 is inserted into the cavity 720 of the cutter holder 510. The cutter 100 is oriented in the cavity 720 such that the cutter table 120 faces away from the first surface 712 or away from the second surface 714. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the entire cutter 100 is inserted into the cavity 720. However, in an alternate exemplary embodiment, a portion of the cutter 100, including the entire support 110, is fully inserted into the cavity 720. Thus, in this alternate exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of the cutter table 120 is not inserted into the cavity 720. Once the cutter 100 is inserted into the cavity 720, a gap 610 is formed between the outer periphery of the cutter 100 and the outer surface of the cavity 720. According to certain exemplary embodiments, a lubricant 620 is applied to the outer periphery of the cutter 100 or disposed within the cavity 720. In this exemplary embodiment, once the cutter 100 is positioned within the cavity 720, a lubricant 620 is attached to the outer surface of the cavity 720 and to the outer perimeter of the cutter 100, A lubricant 620 fills at least a portion of the void 610 so as to occupy a portion of the cavity 610. In another exemplary embodiment, the lubricant 620 is disposed at least between the bottom surface of the cavity 720 and the base of the cutter 100. The lubricant 620 improves the acoustic transmission between the cutter 100 and the acoustic sensor 570. According to some exemplary embodiments, the lubricant 620 is a gel, such as an ultrasonic gel. However, in alternate exemplary embodiments, other materials may be used as the lubricant 620, including but not limited to oil, grease, and lotion. These materials can spread and adhere to the surface and do not dry rapidly. Although the cutter 100 is described as being used in the present exemplary embodiment, other hard or ultra hard materials may be used that require toughness testing instead of the cutter 100.

Referring again to FIGS. 5 and 6, the indenter 550 has a dome shape at the first end 650 and a flat surface at the second end 652. The indenter 550 may be manufactured to have a greater toughness than the cutter 100 so that once the load 580 is applied to the indenter 550 the cutter 100 is damaged but the indenter 550 is not damaged. do. For example, the indenter 550 is made of tungsten carbide-cobalt, but other materials known to those skilled in the art can also be used to make the indenter 550. In certain exemplary embodiments, the cobalt content of the indenter 550 ranges from about 6% to about 20%. In a particular exemplary embodiment, the cobalt content of the indenter 550 is greater than the cobalt content of the cutter table 120 of the cutter 100. In addition, in certain exemplary embodiments, a PCD layer is formed or mounted on the first end 650 of the indenter 550. In this embodiment, the cobalt content of the PCD layer of the indenter 550 is greater than the cobalt content of the cutter table 120 of the cutter 100. Further, in this exemplary embodiment, the cobalt content of the PCD layer of the indenter 550 ranges from about 6% to about 20%. While cobalt is used to make the titer of the indenter greater than the cutter 100 in this exemplary embodiment, other components known to those skilled in the art may be used in other exemplary embodiments.

The indenter 550 has a size that fits within the cavity 720 to contact the cutter 100. In certain exemplary embodiments, the perimeter of the indenter 550 has a size that is substantially similar to the perimeter of the cavity 720. However, in an exemplary embodiment where at least a portion of the cutter table 120 is not in the cavity 720, the indenter 550 is dimensioned such that the perimeter of the indenter 550 is greater than the perimeter of the cavity 720 . The indenter 550 is oriented such that the first end 650 is in contact with the cutter 100. Thus, in this embodiment, the PDC layer of the indenter 550 contacts the PDC layer of the cutter 100, or the cutter table 120. When a load 580 is applied to the second end 652, the second end transfers the load 580 to the cutter 100. Although a dome shaped indenter 550 is used in this exemplary embodiment, an indenter having a different shape may be used in other exemplary embodiments. Also, the second end 652 can be formed in a different non-planar shape without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment.

The acoustic sensor 570 is a piezoelectric sensor disposed along the coupling portion 730 of the cutter holder 510. However, the acoustic sensor 570 may be any other type of device known to those skilled in the art that is capable of detecting sound transmission. The acoustic sensor 570 detects an acoustic wave signal formed in the cutter 100 and then converts the acoustic wave signal into a voltage signal so that the data can be recorded and analyzed later. In a particular exemplary embodiment, the lubricant 620 is disposed in the contact area between the engagement portion 730 and the acoustic sensor 570. As described above, the lubricant 620 improves the detection of the acoustic waves transmitted from the cutter 100 to the acoustic sensor 570. According to some alternative exemplary embodiments, the acoustic sensor 570 has a size such that it can be placed on the arch portion of the side surface 716. Acoustic sensor 570 is communicatively coupled to data writer 590 such that the voltage signal derived from the acoustic waves occurring in cutter 100 can be stored and analyzed later. The acoustic sensor 570 is coupled to the data recorder 590 using a cable 592 but according to another exemplary embodiment the acoustic sensor 570 is connected to the data recorder 590 via a cable 592, And may be wirelessly communicatively coupled to the data writer 590 using wireless technology.

The data recorder 590 records the data transmitted from the acoustic sensor 570 and stores the data therein. In a particular exemplary embodiment, a device (not shown) or machine that transmits a load 580 is coupled to the data writer 590 using a cable 582, but according to another exemplary embodiment, May be wirelessly communicatively coupled to data writer 590 using wireless technology including, but not limited to, infrared and radio frequency. The data writer 590 also processes and analyzes the received data. Although the data writer 590 records, stores, processes, and analyzes data, according to some exemplary embodiments, the data writer 590 does not store data, receives data, processes the data, Can be analyzed. Alternatively, in another exemplary embodiment, the data writer 590 may store data, but does not process or analyze the data. In some exemplary embodiments, additional devices (not shown) are used to process and analyze the data.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic block diagram of the data writer 590 of FIG. 5 according to an exemplary embodiment. 5 and 10, the data recorder 590 is a computer system. The data writer 590 includes a storage medium 1040, a user interface 1030, a processor 1020, and a display 1010.

Storage medium 1040 receives information from acoustic sensor 570 (FIG. 5) and writes this information internally. According to one exemplary embodiment, storage medium 1040 is a hard drive. However, according to another exemplary embodiment, storage medium 1040 includes at least one of a hard drive, a portable hard drive, a USB drive, a DVD, a CD, or any other device capable of storing data and / or software. In some exemplary embodiments, storage medium 1040 also includes software for providing instructions for how to process information or data received from acoustic sensor 570 (FIG. 5).

The user interface 1030 allows the user to interface with the data writer 590 and to provide instructions for operating the data writer 590. According to some exemplary embodiments, the user interface comprises a keyboard. However, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment, the user interface includes at least one of a keyboard, a mouse, a touch screen that may be part of the display 1010, or any other user interface known to those skilled in the art.

The processor 1020 receives instructions from the user interface 1030, accesses information stored in the storage medium 1040, transmits information to the storage medium 1040, and transmits information to the display 1010 can do. In some exemplary embodiments, the processor 1020 accesses software stored in the storage medium 1040 and executes a series of instructions provided by the software. A more detailed description of these commands is provided below. In some exemplary embodiments, the processor 1020 includes a processor engine 2200, which is described in further detail below with respect to Figures 16, 17, 18 and 22.

Display 1010 receives information from the processor and passes this information to the user. According to one exemplary embodiment, display 1010 includes a monitor or screen. However, according to another exemplary embodiment, the display 1010 includes at least one of a screen, a touch screen, a printer, or any other device capable of conveying information to a user.

10, the data writer 590 may be communicatively coupled to the internal network in a wired or wireless manner, wherein the data from the software and / or acoustic sensor 570 (FIG. 5) Not shown). Additionally, in accordance with some alternative exemplary embodiments, the data recorder 590 may be communicatively coupled to a modem (not shown) either wired or wireless, wherein the modem is communicatively coupled to the World Wide Web have. In a particular alternative exemplary embodiment, the data from the software and / or acoustic sensor 570 (FIG. 5) is stored at a remote location accessible via the World Wide Web.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the acoustic emission test apparatus 505 of FIG. 5, in which the indenter 550 is removed from the cutter holder 510 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 8, the cutter 100 is fully inserted into the cavity 720 of the cutter holder 510. As shown, the diameter of the cutter 100 is smaller than the diameter of the cavity 720, thereby forming a cavity 610. In addition, the PDC layer or cutter table 120 is oriented in the cavity 720 such that the PCD layer faces toward the first surface 712. The indenter 550 has been removed from the cavity 720 to further illustrate some of the features of the indenter 550. In accordance with the present exemplary embodiment, the indenter 550 includes a support 808 and a hard surface 810 formed or bonded to the top of the support 808. In the present exemplary embodiment, the hard surface 810 is formed of PCD, but in alternative exemplary embodiments, other hard or super-hard materials, such as PCBN, may be used on the hard surface < RTI ID = 810) can be produced. Although the indenter 550 has a dome shaped hard surface 810, the hard surface 810 can be flat or any other shape known to those skilled in the art. As can be seen, according to this exemplary embodiment, the indenter 550 has a diameter that is substantially similar to the diameter of the cavity 720.

In an alternative embodiment, the indenter 550 is disposed in the cavity 720 with the rigid surface 810 facing toward the first surface 712. The cutter 100 to be tested is placed on top of the indenter 550 with the cutter table 120 in contact with the hard surface 810. A load 580 is applied downward to the back surface of the support 110 of the test cutter 100. [ Acoustic emissions of the cracks initiated and / or propagating within the test cutter 100 pass through the indenter 550 and are transmitted to the acoustic sensor 570. In such an alternative exemplary embodiment, the cutter holder 510 is optional.

Figure 9 shows a perspective view of an acoustic emission test system 900 in accordance with an alternative exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, an acoustic emission testing system 900 includes an acoustic emission testing apparatus 905 communicatively coupled to a data recorder 507. The acoustic emission test apparatus 905 is similar to the acoustic emission test apparatus 505 of Figure 5 except that the acoustic sensor 570 is directly coupled to the cutter 100 and the cutter holder 510 of Figure 5 is removed. . The cutter 100, the indenter 550, the load 580, the acoustic sensor 570 and the data writer 590 have been described above with respect to Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. Also, a lubricant 620 (FIG. 6) is disposed between the acoustic sensor 570 and the cutter 100 in accordance with some exemplary embodiments.

The operation of the acoustic emission test system 500 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8. Fig. A cutter 100 to be tested, or a hard or ultra hard material, is placed in the cavity 720 of the cutter holder 510. Between the bottom surface of the cutter 100 and the base of the cavity 720 to enhance acoustic wave propagation across the contact surface between the base or bottom surface of the cutter 100 and the base of the cavity 720, Based gel 620 is used. The acoustic sensor 570 is disposed in contact with the engaging portion 730 of the cutter holder 510 to detect an elastic wave generated in the cutter 100. A mineral oil based gel 620 is also used between the acoustic sensor 570 and the engagement portion 730 to improve acoustic wave transmission across the contact surface between the acoustic sensor 570 and the engagement portion 730. The indenter 550 is disposed on top of the PCD layer 120 of the cutter 100 and is pushed toward the PCD layer 120 using a load 580. [ The load 580 is provided on the indenter 550 using a 100 kilo Newton 8500 series Instron machine. This machine (not shown) can control the amount of load applied to the indenter 550. This machine is coupled to a data recorder 590, which measures the load over time. Although an example of a machine capable of providing a load 580 is disclosed, all systems capable of providing a measurable load to the indenter 550 are within the scope of exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, a machine or apparatus for delivering a measurable load 580 may be used for a steady ramp or cyclic loading histories, from handheld hammers to fully instrumented impact machines, To a load-controlled hydraulic machine.

The load 580 is applied on the indenter 550 and is increased at a constant rate up to the desired load level. Once the desired load level is reached, the load level is maintained for a desired period of time, which can range from a few seconds to a few minutes and then ramp down at a rate that is faster than the ramp up rate (Ramped down). Each time a new crack is formed in the upper diamond layer 130 or an existing crack grows, a certain amount of elastic energy is applied to the PCD layer 120, the support 110 and the cutter holder 510, Almost instantaneously. Acoustic sensor 570 detects this seismic wave and converts the received signal into a voltage signal. Acoustic sensor 570 is communicatively coupled to data writer 590 such that acoustic emission or data is recorded over time. Such acoustic emissions include background noise and acoustic events. Therefore, since the acoustic emission history and the load history are recorded in the data recorder 590, it is possible to determine at which load 580 a predetermined sound event has occurred. Acoustic events are events in which new cracks are formed or existing cracks grow in the PDC layer 120. According to one exemplary embodiment, acoustic sensor 570 provides data to data writer 590 at about 5,000 data points per second, but data points per second can be increased or decreased without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment .

Figure 11 illustrates graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1100 for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 2 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 11, cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1100 includes a time axis 1110, a load axis 1120, and an acoustic emission axis 1130. The time axis 1110 is represented by the x-axis and is provided in units of seconds x 5,000 units. Therefore, to obtain the period in seconds, the numerical value of the time axis 1110 should be divided by 5,000. The time axis 1110 may be read as the energy delivered to the sample. That is, as more time passes, more total energy is applied to the cutter or test sample. The load axis 1120 is represented by the y-axis and is provided in units of kilo Newton. The acoustic emission axis 1130 is also represented by the y-axis and is provided in units of millivolts x 10. Therefore, in order to obtain the voltage in millivolts, the numerical value of the acoustic emission axis 1130 should be divided by 10. The load curve 1140 and the acoustic emission curve 1160 are all illustrated on the cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1100. According to the load curve 1140, the load was increased from 0 kilo Newton to 2 kilo Newton at a constant speed (1142) or ramp up speed. The load was ramped down to a ramp down rate 1144 that is faster than the ramp up rate 1142 after being maintained for a period of time at peak load level 1143 or 2 kilo Newton in this example. The acoustic emission curve 1160 represents a signal recorded from the acoustic sensor. According to the acoustic emission curve 1160, the only recorded acoustic emission is background noise 1162. [ No acoustic events were detected. Also, as the load increases, the background noise 1162 also increases.

Figure 12 illustrates graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1200 for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 5 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 12, cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1200 includes a time axis 1210, a load axis 1220, and an acoustic emission axis 1230. The time axis 1210 is represented by the x-axis, and is provided in units of seconds x 5,000 units. Therefore, to obtain a period in seconds, the numerical value of the time axis 1210 should be divided by 5,000. The time axis 1210 may be read as the energy transferred to the sample. That is, as more time passes, more total energy is applied to the cutter or test sample. The load axis 1220 is represented by the y-axis and is provided in kilo-neon units. The acoustic emission axis 1230 is also represented by the y-axis and is provided in units of millivolts x 10. Therefore, in order to obtain a voltage in millivolts, the numerical value of the acoustic emission axis 1230 should be divided by 10. The load curve 1240 and the acoustic emission curve 1260 are both illustrated on the cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1200. According to the load curve 1240, the load was increased from 0 kilo Newton to 5 kilo Newton at a constant speed (1242) or ramp up speed. The load was ramped down to a ramp down rate 1244 that is faster than ramp up rate 1242 after being held at peak load level 1243 or 5 kilo Newtons in this example for a period of time. Acoustic emission curve 1260 represents the signal recorded from the acoustic sensor. According to the acoustic emission curve 1260, the only acoustic emission recorded is background noise 1262. [ No acoustic events were detected. Also, as the load increases, the background noise 1262 also increases.

Figure 13 illustrates a graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1300 for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 30 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 13, cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1300 includes a time axis 1310, a load axis 1320, and an acoustic emission axis 1330. The time axis 1310 is represented by the x-axis and is provided in units of seconds x 5,000 units. Therefore, to obtain the period in seconds, the numerical value of the time axis 1310 should be divided by 5,000. The time axis 1310 may be read as the energy delivered to the sample. That is, the more time passes, the more total energy is applied to the sample. The load axis 1320 is represented by the y-axis, and is provided in kilo Newton units. The acoustic emission axis 1330 is also represented by the y-axis and is provided in units of millivolts x 10. Therefore, in order to obtain the voltage in millivolts, the numerical value of the acoustic emission axis 1330 should be divided by 10. The load curve 1340 and the acoustic emission curve 1360 are both illustrated on the cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1300. According to the load curve 1340, the load increased from 0 kilo Newton to 30 kilo Newton at a constant speed (1342) or ramp up speed. The load was ramped down to ramp down rate 1344, which is faster than ramp up rate 1342, after being held at peak load level 1343 or in this example at 30 kilo Newtons for a period of time. Acoustic emission curve 1360 represents the signal recorded from the acoustic sensor. According to the acoustic emission curve 1360, the recorded acoustic emission includes background noise 1362 and one or more acoustic events 1364. The background noise 1362 occupies most of the recorded data during the test. The acoustic event 1364 is shown as a thin vertical line extending significantly upward from the background noise 1362. The height of each acoustic event 1364 on the background noise 1362 is proportional to the amount of elastic energy emitted by each cracking and / or propagation event by a calibration constant. All single acoustic events 1364 last an average of about 50 milliseconds. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the acoustic sensor samples about 5,000 data points per second, which enables detection of these acoustic events 1364. Also, as the load increases, the background noise 1362 also increases. After this test was completed, the cutter was visually inspected. There was no visual indication of any damage on the top PCD surface of the cutter, but the acoustic sensor detected an acoustic event that occurred in the cutter. Therefore, the acoustic sensor can detect a small damage to the cutter once exposed to a load, even if no damage is seen.

14 illustrates graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation for a cutter undergoing loads up to about 40 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The same cutter sample used in the test shown in Fig. 13 was used in the test shown in Fig. 14, cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1400 includes a time axis 1410, a load axis 1420, and an acoustic emission axis 1430. The time axis 1410 is represented by the x-axis and is provided in units of seconds x 5,000 units. Therefore, to obtain a period in seconds, the numerical value of the time axis 1410 should be divided by 5,000. The time axis 1410 may be read as the energy delivered to the sample. That is, the more time passes, the more total energy is applied to the sample. The load axis 1420 is represented by the y-axis, and is provided in kilo Newton units. The acoustic emission axis 1430 is also represented by the y-axis, and is provided in units of millivolts x 10. Therefore, in order to obtain the voltage in millivolts, the numerical value of the acoustic emission axis 1430 should be divided by 10. The load curve 1440 and the acoustic emission curve 1460 are both illustrated on the cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1400. According to the load curve 1440, the load increased from 0 kilo Newton to 40 kilo Newton at a constant speed (1442) or ramp up speed. The load was ramped down to ramp down rate 1444, which is faster than ramp up rate 1442 after being held at peak load level 1443 or 40 kilo Newtons in this example for a period of time. The acoustic emission curve 1460 represents the signal recorded from the acoustic sensor. According to the acoustic emission curve 1460, the recorded acoustic emission includes background noise 1462 and at least one acoustic event 1464. Acoustic events 1464 are shown as vertical lines that extend significantly upward from the background noise 1462. The height of each acoustic event 1464 on the background noise 1462 is proportional to the amount of elastic energy emitted by each cracking and / or propagation event by the correction constant. As can be seen in Figure 14, the acoustic event 1464 did not occur in the cutter until the load reached or exceeded the previous load that was exposed to this cutter. For example, the cutter has previously undergone a load of up to 30 kilo Newton as described in FIG. Thus, the new acoustic event 1464 did not occur until the load reached and / or exceeded the threshold 1466 previously applied to the cutter, which in this example was about 30 kilo Newtons. According to this experiment, a load level equal to or higher than the previous peak load level 1343 must be applied in order to generate a new crack in the cutter, or to grow an existing crack formed in a previous test run Seems to be.

15A illustrates graphite cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1500 for a cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter type undergoing loads up to about 45 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15B shows graphical cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1550 for a cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter type undergoing loads up to about 30 kilo Newtons in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 15A and 15B, a cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1500 illustrates an acoustic emission curve 1510 illustrating one or more acoustic events 1520 occurring within a cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter type While cutter acoustic emission and load representation 1550 includes an acoustic emission curve 1560 showing one or more acoustic events 1570 occurring within the cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter type. Cutter Maker # 1 Cutter Sample # 1 Cutter Maker # 2 Cutter Sample # 2 than Cutter Type There are significantly more acoustic events (1520 and 1570) occurring within the cutter type. Thus, different cutter types exhibit different acoustic patterns within their respective acoustic emission curves. Based on these results, the user can determine which cutter type is tougher than the other cutter types, so that the user can grade the cutter according to its toughness. In this case, cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter type is tougher than cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter type.

According to the experimental results shown in Figs. 11 to 15, at least some observations can be made. First, the acoustic sensor can detect crack formation and crack growth in the diamond table of the cutter when a load is applied to the indenter, and then transmit analytical signals thereafter. Second, different cutter types show different acoustic event patterns and allow the user to rate the toughness of the cutter when compared to other cutters. Third, although the damage that can be detected on the surface of the PDC table of the cutter after the test is not visible, the acoustic sensor can detect any non-visual damage that occurs to the cutter.

Figure 16 illustrates a flow diagram of a method 1600 for analyzing data points received from an acoustic sensor, which method includes a loop 1 method 1680 and a loop 2 method 1690, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. . Although specific steps are shown as progressing in a particular order, the order of steps may be changed without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment. Also, although the specific functions are performed in one or more steps, the number of steps for performing such functions may be increased or decreased without departing from the scope and spirit of the exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 16, at step 1605, method 1600 begins. From step 1605, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1610. At step 1610, one or more minimum thresholds greater than the background noise are determined to qualify the data point as a possible acoustic event. When step 1610 is complete, the method 1600 proceeds to steps 1615 and 1625, which may be performed concurrently in certain exemplary embodiments. At step 1615, background points are determined that bound the outer envelope of the background noise. In step 1625, the possible acoustic event points are determined based on the one or more thresholds determined in step 1610. [ Steps 1615 and 1625 are included in loop 1 method 1680, which is described in more detail below in conjunction with Figure 17.

From step 1615, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1620. [ In step 1620, the background points determined in step 1615 are interpolated to generate a background noise function curve. From step 1620 and step 1625, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1630. [ In step 1630, the actual sound event points determined using the possible sound event points determined in step 1680 and the background noise function curve determined in step 1620 are used to determine the actual sound event points. From step 1630, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1635. [ In step 1635, the amplitude and duration of each actual sound event point is determined. From step 1635, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1640. In step 1640, the area under each acoustic event point is calculated. From step 1640, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1645. [ At step 1645, the cumulative distribution of regions is compared to the actual test load for each acoustic event point. The user can use these comparisons to determine the relative toughness between the cutters. These comparisons can be made using quantitative and objective methods. The duration, amplitude and frequency of the acoustic event points, and the corresponding energy level or load transferred to the sample, can be directly correlated to the on-site impact of the PCD under test or other hard or ultra hard material. Method 1600 not only enables the measurement of the minimum amount of external work, or load, required to cause some damage, but also allows for the measurement of the amount of additional work or load that must be done to increase the damage level. After step 1645, the method 1600 proceeds to step 1650 where the method 1600 ends.

Figure 19 shows a graphic cutter acoustic emission representation 1900 for a load-bearing cutter in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 20 shows an enlarged view of a portion of a graphical cutter acoustic emission representation 2000 for a load-bearing cutter in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 shows a cumulative distribution representation 2100 for each actual sound event in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figures 19-21 illustrate the majority of steps illustrated in method 1600 of Figure 16.

19, a cutter acoustic emission representation 1900 includes a time axis 1910 and an acoustic emission axis 1930. The time axis 1910 is expressed as an x-axis, and is provided in units of seconds x 5,000 units. Thus, to obtain a period in seconds, the numerical value of the time axis 1910 should be divided by 5,000. The acoustic emission axis 1930 is represented by the y-axis and is provided in units of millivolts x 10. Therefore, in order to obtain a voltage in millivolts, the numerical value of the acoustic emission axis 1930 should be divided by 10. The acoustic emission data 1960 is illustrated on the cutter acoustic emission representation 1900. The acoustic emission data 1960 represents a signal recorded from the acoustic sensor. According to the acoustic emission data 1960, the recorded acoustic emission data includes one or more background points 1962 and one or more possible acoustic event points 1964. 16 and 19, acoustic emission data 1960 is classified to include background point 1962 and possible acoustic event points 1964, according to steps 1615 and 1625 of FIG. The classification of acoustic emission data 1960 is performed using an algorithm resident in data writer 590 (FIG. 5) according to one exemplary embodiment. However, such an algorithm may be stored in another device in an alternative exemplary embodiment or performed manually. Alternatively, other methods known to those skilled in the art and which benefit from the present invention may be used to classify the acoustic emission data 1960. As shown in FIG. 19, each background point 1962 is marked with a circle, and each possible sound event point 1964 is indicated by a square. Some points are not defined as background points 1962 or possible acoustic event points 1964. This indication is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the exemplary embodiments of the invention.

16 and 19, according to step 1620 of FIG. 16, the background noise function curve 1970 is interpolated using the determined background points 1962. According to an exemplary embodiment, the background noise function curve 1970 is interpolated using a fourth order polynomial, but other degrees of polynomials may be used to interpolate the background points 1962 without departing from the scope and spirit of the illustrative embodiments. .

Referring to FIG. 20, an enlarged portion of the graphic cutter acoustic emission representation 2000 is presented. According to this figure, each acoustical emission data 1960 includes actual acoustic event points 2010, and has a duration 2020 during which the data occurs. Each actual sound event point 2010 also has an amplitude 2030 measured vertically from the background noise function curve 1970 to the location where the actual sound event point 2010 is located. 16 and 20, according to step 1635 of FIG. 16, the amplitude 2030 and duration 2020 of the actual sound event point 2010 are calculated. Once the amplitude 2030 and duration 2020 have been determined, the area 2040 below each actual sound event point 2010 is calculated by multiplying the amplitude 2030 by the duration 2020. This step is performed in step 1640 of FIG. According to some exemplary embodiments, the unit of area 2040 is millivolts x seconds x 5,000, but other units may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 21, a cumulative distribution representation 2100 for each actual sound event is presented. According to this figure, the cumulative distribution representation 2100 includes a load axis 2110 and an acoustic emission area axis 2130. The load axis 2110 is represented by the x-axis, and is provided in kilo Newton units. The acoustic emission area axis 2130 is represented by the y-axis and is provided in units of millivolts x seconds x 50,000. This is the area determined to be below the actual sound event point. Therefore, in order to obtain the area in units of millivolts x seconds, the numerical value of the acoustic emission area axis 2130 should be divided by 50,000. 16 and 21, according to step 1645 of FIG. 16, the cumulative distribution of areas is shown along the acoustic emission area axis 2130, which, for each actual acoustic event, And is compared to the actual test load shown. Cumulative distribution representation 2100 provides this comparison for cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter plot 2150 and cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter plot 2160.

For example, in one of the three cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter plots (2150), there are actual acoustic event points at about 28 kilo Newton and about 3550 millivolts x x50,000, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 2152 < / RTI > This means that there was a cumulative area of 3550 millivolts x seconds x 50,000 that occurred below all previous real sound event points, including the area for the actual sound event points that resulted from a load of about 28 kilo Newtons. On that same curve, the next actual sound event point, Point B 2154, occurs at about 32.5 kilo Newton. The area under such actual acoustic event point is about 650 millivolts x seconds x 50,000, which is not shown directly on the cumulative distribution representation 2100. However, at about 32.5 kilo Newtons, there was a cumulative area of about 4200 millivolts x seconds x 50,000. Thus, subtracting about 3550 millivolts x second x 50,000 from about 4200 millivolts x second x 50,000 would result in about 650 millivolts x second x 50,000. Cutters that are harder or have greater intrinsic toughness provide a smaller cumulative area for a given load. A cutter with a steep curve with a large amplitude of actual acoustic event points has a lower intrinsic toughness than a cutter with a less steep curve and a smaller amplitude of the actual acoustical event points. Thus, according to the cumulative distribution representation 2100, a comparison between cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter plot 2150 and cutter maker # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter plot 2160 is shown in cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter Shows greater intrinsic toughness than cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter. 21, there are two curves representing the cutter manufacturer # 1 cutter sample # 1 cutter plot 2150 and the cutter manufacturer # 2 cutter sample # 2 cutter plot 2160. These plots 2150 and 2160 illustrate that the method 1600 (FIG. 16) has a high resolution to be able to detect variability within the same group of samples. The method provided in Figure 16 provides information to the user to rate cutter toughness among other cutters in an objective manner.

Figure 17 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of the Loop 1 method 1680 of Figure 16 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 17, at step 1705, the loop 1 method 1680 begins. From step 1705, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds to step 1710. [ In step 1710, the first data point is read. When step 1710 is complete, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds to step 1715 and reads the next data point. After step 1715, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds to step 1720. [ In step 1720, the difference between the two data points is calculated and compared to a first tolerance used to define an acoustic event. According to one exemplary embodiment, the first tolerance is about 0.5 millivolts. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the first tolerance may be larger or smaller. If the difference between the two data points is not less than the first tolerance, the loop one method 1680 proceeds to step 1725. In step 1725, a second one of the two data points is defined as a possible acoustic event point. From step 1725, the loop one method 1680 proceeds to step 1745 and the loop one method 1680 determines whether there are other data points. If at step 1745 it is determined that no other data points exist, the loop one method 1680 proceeds to step 1750 and the loop one method 1680 ends. However, if it is determined at step 1745 that another data point is present, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds again to step 1715. [

If in step 1720 it is determined that the difference between the two data points is less than the first tolerance, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds to step 1730. In step 1730, the difference between the two data points is compared to a second tolerance. According to one exemplary embodiment, the second tolerance is about 0.01 millivolts. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the second tolerance may be larger or smaller. If the difference between the two data points is not less than the second tolerance, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds again to step 1715 and does not define the second data point. However, if the difference between the two data points is less than the second tolerance, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds to step 1735. [

At step 1735, it is determined whether the difference between the two data points is negative and less than "z" consecutive times, or whether the difference is positive and less than "u" consecutive times. According to one exemplary embodiment, "z" is 2 and "u" However, in other exemplary embodiments, one or both of the "u" value and the "z" value may be larger or smaller. If the difference between the two data points is negative and less than or equal to the number of consecutive "z" consecutively, or positive, and less than "u" consecutive times, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds again to step 1715, Data points are not specified. However, if the difference between the two data points is negative and less than or equal to "z" consecutive or negative, and less than "u" consecutive times, the loop one method 1680 proceeds to step 1740.

In step 1740, the second of the two data points is defined as the background boundary point. From step 1740, the loop 1 method 1680 proceeds to step 1745, where it is determined whether another data point is present. The loop 1 method 1680 continues until the step 1750 is reached according to the steps described above. Thus, the loop 1 method 1680 provides a method for determining which data points should be defined as possible acoustic event points or background boundary points, or not of any type.

Figure 18 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of the Loop 2 method 1690 of Figure 16 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 18, at step 1805, the loop 2 method 1690 begins. From step 1805, the loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1810. In step 1810, background noise function curves are generated using background boundary points. When step 1810 is complete, loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1815 and reads the first possible acoustic event point. After step 1815, the loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1820. [ In step 1820, the difference between the possible acoustic event points and the background noise function curve is calculated and it is determined whether this difference is greater than a third tolerance used to define the actual acoustic event point. According to one exemplary embodiment, the third tolerance is about 0.08 millivolts. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the third tolerance may be larger or smaller. If the difference between the possible acoustic event point and the background noise function curve is not greater than the third tolerance, the loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1825. In step 1825, the next possible acoustic event point is read, and the loop 2 method 1690 again proceeds to step 1820. [ However, if the difference between the possible acoustic event point and the background noise function curve is greater than the third tolerance, the loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1830.

In step 1830, the amplitude, duration, and area between the actual sound event point and the background noise function curve are calculated. From step 1830, the loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1840. [ At step 1840, it is determined if there are other possible acoustic event points. If there are other possible acoustic event points, the loop 2 method 1690 again proceeds to step 1825, and the loop 2 method 1690 continues. However, at step 1840, if there are no other possible acoustic event points, the loop 2 method 1690 proceeds to step 1845, where the loop 2 method 1690 ends. Thus, the loop 2 method 1690 provides a method for determining which data points should be defined as the actual sound event points, and then calculating the area for each defined sound event point.

FIG. 22 illustrates a block diagram of the processor 1020 of FIG. 10 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. As described above, a method for performing one or more steps illustrated in Figs. 16-18 is performed within the processor 1020. Fig. However, in certain other exemplary embodiments, such a method is performed in a processor either manually or manually. Processor 1020 is located within data writer 590 or a computer system. Although a single processor 1020 is shown, multiple processors may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment. Processor 1020 includes one or more processor engines 2200.

The processor engine 2200 includes a sound data collection engine 2210, a background point determination engine 2220, a possible sound event point determination engine 2230, a background noise function curve interpolation engine 2240, a real sound event point determination engine 2250 An actual acoustic event area calculation engine 2260, and a cumulative area and load curve engine 2270. Although seven engines are included in the processor engine 2200, the number of engines may be more or less in other exemplary embodiments. Additionally, one or more of the above-described processor engines 2200 may be combined with a smaller number of processor engines 2200 or may be coupled to additional processor engines 2200 without departing from the scope and spirit of the present exemplary embodiment. Can be separated.

Acoustic data collection engine 2210 collects data from at least a sound sensor, which includes background points and possible acoustic event points. Since the acoustic data collection engine 2210 also collects data from the loads, in some exemplary embodiments, the corresponding background points and possible acoustic event points are associated with a given load. Background point determination engine 2220 evaluates the data obtained from the acoustic sensor and determines if the data point is a background point. Background point determination engine 2220 performs step 1615 of FIG. A possible acoustic event point decision engine 2230 evaluates the data obtained from the acoustic sensor and determines if the data point is a possible acoustic event point. A possible acoustic event point determination engine 2230 performs step 1625 of FIG. The background point determination engine 2220 and possible acoustic event point determination engine 2230 are executed simultaneously with each other, but may be executed independently of each other in some alternative exemplary embodiments.

Background noise function curve interpolation engine 2240 uses the previously determined background points to generate a background noise function curve. The background noise function curve interpolation engine 2240 performs step 1620 of FIG. The actual sound event point determination engine 2250 determines the actual sound event point using the previously determined possible sound event points and the background noise function curve. Actual acoustic event point determination engine 2250 performs step 1630 of FIG. Once the actual sound event point is determined, the actual sound event area computation engine 2260 determines the area formed between the actual sound event point and the background noise function curve. Actual sound event area calculation engine 2260 performs steps 1635 and 1640 of FIG. The cumulative area and load curve engine 2270 compares the cumulative distribution of regions with the actual test load for each actual acoustic event point. Cumulative area and load curve engine 2270 performs step 1645 of FIG. Although processor engines 2200 are disposed within processor 1020 in some exemplary embodiments, processor engine 2200 may include, but is not limited to, one or more hard drives, a USB drive, a compact disk, a digital video disk, And may reside in a storage medium including any other storage device known to the person skilled in the art or not yet known.

Although the processor engines 2200 have been described in the present exemplary embodiment, the instructions for determining the toughness of the cutter may be provided in software residing within the storage medium 1040 (Fig. 10). Such software includes modules and / or code similar to the processor engines 2200 described above.

Figure 23 shows a rock sample 2300 that can be tested in the acoustic emission test systems 500 and 900 of Figures 5 and 9, respectively, instead of the cutter 100 of Figure 1 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment . 5, 6, 9 and 23, a rock sample 2300 replaces a cutter 100 in an acoustic emission test system 500 or an acoustic emission test system 900. The analysis of the test method and its results is similar to the methods and analysis described above and provides information on the uniaxial compressive strength and / or toughness of the rock sample 2300.

The rock sample 2300 is cylindrical and similar to the cutter 100. The rock sample includes a first plane 2310 at one end of the rock sample 2300, a second plane 2320 at the opposite end of the rock sample and a second plane 2320 extending from the first surface 2310 to the second surface 2320 And a main surface 2330. However, in alternate embodiments, the rock sample 2300 may be other geometric shapes, such as a cube shape, or non-geometric shapes. In some exemplary embodiments, the shape of rock sample 2300 is a repeatable shape such that a plurality of rock samples 2300 are formed in a substantially similar shape so that test results can be compared.

Figure 24 shows the acoustic emission test apparatus 505 of Figure 5 inserted into a pressurizable chamber 2410 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The pressure in the pressurizable chamber 2410 may vary in a controllable and measurable manner. In some exemplary embodiments, the pressure in the pressurizable chamber 2410 may vary from 0 psi to about 40000 psi, but in other exemplary embodiments the range of pressures may be higher or lower. In these exemplary embodiments, the sensor 570 and other components, including the indenter 550, are able to withstand the pressures formed in the pressurizable chamber 2410. According to these exemplary embodiments, the confined compressive strength (CCS) and toughness of the rock can be measured at various levels of hydrostatic pressures, thereby providing important information of rock properties at different depths below the surface of the earth. The collected information can be used to improve the knowledge of rock defect mechanisms, and also leads to new theories and rock solid machine models. The collected information can also be used to identify other known theories that have not yet been proven. Although the pressurizable chamber 2410 is one method for testing a hard or ultra hard material 100, such as a rock sample 2300 under pressure, other mechanisms for providing pressure to the hard or ultra hard material 100 Other mechanisms may be used, such as, for example, using high intensity coupling rings assembled with hard or ultra hard material 100 and around rigid or ultra hard materials in alternative exemplary embodiments.

Knowledge of the UCS and toughness of rock samples 2300 can be used by designers to develop and / or create new and innovative bit designs with superior performance or to develop new bit design procedures that incorporate UCS values and K _1c values. have. The information obtained from the rock samples 2300 may be used to calibrate geoscience and / or intelligence software and tools.

While several exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, alternative exemplary embodiments include utilizing heating of the hard or ultra hard material 100. Heating of such a hard or ultra-hard substance 100 is performed before, during, and / or after applying a load to the hard or ultra-hard substance 100. The heat is supplied in any of a number of ways known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, flame, laser, infrared, and / or heated liquid.

According to some exemplary embodiments, there are various different types of hard or ultra-hard material 100 including different types of cutters 100 (cutter type). According to some exemplary embodiments, each type of cutter 100 is manufactured and / or manufactured with the same tried and tested design specifications by the same manufacturer. Although the hardness of each cutter 100 in the same type of cutter 100 is not exactly the same, the hardness of each cutter 100 in the same type of cutter 100 may be similar to each other, for example, It is assumed to be at least related to the determined hardness, which may be the hardness most frequently occurring in the test cutter for the cutter 100. According to some exemplary embodiments, for example, different cutter types include: a) cutters manufactured to different specifications from the same manufacturer, b) cutters manufactured to different specifications from different manufacturers, and / or c) cutters manufactured to different specifications from the same manufacturer And a cutter to be manufactured. The test cutter is a group of cutters 100 selected from a particular cutter type that underwent the acoustical test described above. The test cutter includes 50 cutters 100 from one cutter 100 within a particular cutter type, but the number of test cutters may be larger. Thus, in the example where the hard or ultra hard material 100 is a cutter 100, one or more test cutters 100 are selected from a particular cutter type and tested according to the acoustic test method described above. The hardness determined for the test cutter 100 represents the hardness of all the cutters 100 belonging to that respective cutter type. If the hardness of the various cutter types is known by the user relative to the other cutter types, the user can determine which cutter type is acceptable or optimal for the application to be used. According to some exemplary embodiments, these cutters 100 are coupled to a tool for use, such as a downhole tool, e.g., a drill bit or reamer. The drill bit includes at least one cutter 100 whose hardness has been determined from a test cutter 100 that has been manufactured from the same cutter type as cutter 100 and which has undergone the acoustic test method described above. In certain exemplary embodiments, a tool, drill bit or other downhole tool comprises two or more cutters 100 from different cutter types, wherein at least one cutter 100 is identical to at least one cutter 100 Has a hardness determined from a test cutter (100) manufactured from a cutter type and having undergone the acoustic test method described above.

While each exemplary embodiment has been described in detail, all features and modifications applicable to one embodiment should be construed as being applicable to other embodiments as well. Furthermore, while the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, such description should not be construed in a limiting sense. Alternative embodiments of the invention, as well as various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to the description of such exemplary embodiments. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed concepts and specific embodiments may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures or methods for carrying out the same purpose of the present invention. It is also to be understood by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications or embodiments as fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims (50)

A first cutter having a first toughness,
The first toughness being determined from at least one test cutter having a second toughness,
The second toughness,
A test cutter comprising a first surface, an acoustic sensor communicatively coupled to the test cutter, and an indenter releasably coupled to the first surface, the indenter being more than the toughness of the test cutter Providing an acoustical emission test apparatus having a toughness - and a load applied to the indenter, the indenter transferring the load to the first surface -
Applying the load to the indenter, the indenter transferring the load to the test cutter;
Obtaining data from the acoustic emission test apparatus;
Detecting acoustic events occurring in said test cutter; And
Objectively calculating the second toughness of the test cutter based on the acoustic events and the data
, ≪ / RTI >
Wherein the first cutter and the at least one test cutter are the same type of cutter. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of applying the load to the indenter comprises:
Increasing the load to a peak load at a ramp-up rate;
Maintaining the peak load for a predetermined time; And
Reducing the load to a ramp down rate
And a second cutter. 3. The first cutter of claim 2, wherein the ramp down speed is faster than the ramp up speed. 2. The first cutter according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring data from the acoustic emission testing device comprises the step of acquiring data from the acoustic sensor and the load. The first cutter according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic emission testing device comprises the acoustic sensor coupled to the test cutter. 6. The first cutter of claim 5, wherein the acoustic emission testing device further comprises a lubricant disposed between the acoustic sensor and the test cutter. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic emission testing device further comprises a holder including a cavity therein, the test cutter being disposed within the cavity, the acoustic sensor being coupled to the holder, . 8. The first cutter of claim 7 wherein the diameter of the cavity is greater than the diameter of the test cutter to form an air gap between the outer surface of the cavity and the outer surface of the test cutter. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the acoustic emission testing device further comprises a lubricant disposed within the cavity, the lubricant contacting the outer surface of the cavity, the outer surface of the test cutter, and at least a portion of the gap therebetween Lt; / RTI > The first cutter of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises heating the test cutter. 2. The first cutter of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises pressing the test cutter. The first cutter of claim 1, wherein the indenter comprises a PDC end contacting the first surface of the test cutter. The first cutter of claim 1, wherein the indenter comprises a cobalt concentration ranging from about 6% to about 20%. The first cutter of claim 1, wherein the indenter contacts the test cutter and comprises a first end having a dome shape. 1. A first cutter having a first toughness,
The first toughness being determined from at least one test cutter having a second toughness,
The second toughness,
A collection step of collecting acoustic data from a sound sensor when a load is applied to the test cutter by an acoustic data collection engine, the acoustic sensor being communicatively coupled to the test cutter;
A determination step of determining one or more background points by the background point determination engine;
Determining one or more possible acoustic event points by a possible acoustic event point determination engine;
An interpolation step of interpolating a background noise function curve using the background points by a background noise function curve interpolation engine;
Determining by the actual sound event point determination engine at least one actual sound event point using the possible sound event point and the background noise function curve; And
Calculating a sound event area surrounded by the actual sound event point and the background noise function curve by a real sound event area calculation engine;
Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > and / or < / RTI >
Wherein the first cutter and the at least one test cutter are the same type of cutter. 16. The first cutter according to claim 15, wherein the decision step by the background point decision engine and the decision step by the possible sound event point decision engine are performed simultaneously. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein a background point is determined when the difference between two consecutive data points is less than a first threshold and a possible acoustic event point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is greater than the first threshold , A first cutter. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein a background point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is less than a second threshold and a possible acoustic event point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is greater than a first threshold, A first cutter. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein if the difference between two consecutive data points is less than the second threshold and is negative and less than "z" consecutive times, or if the difference between two consecutive data points is less than the second threshold, Quot; number of consecutive times, a possible background point is determined, and a possible acoustic event point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is greater than a first threshold. 16. The first cutter of claim 15, wherein the actual sound event point is determined when the difference between the possible sound event points and the background noise function curve is greater than a third threshold. 16. The method of claim 15 wherein each acoustic event region is calculated by multiplying the amplitude of each of the actual acoustic event points from the background noise function curve by a respective time duration of each of the actual acoustic event points, . 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the cumulative area and the load curve are calculated using a cumulative area surrounded by the cumulative area and load curve engine between the actual sound event point and the background noise function curve for each actual sound event point, Wherein the first cutter further comprises: 23. The method of claim 22, wherein the cumulative area and the load curve are generated by plotting each actual sound event point using a load for a corresponding actual sound point and a cumulative area for a corresponding actual point, Wherein the area comprises a total area below the corresponding actual sound point and below all previous real sound points. 23. The first cutter of claim 22, wherein the user objectively determines a second toughness of the test cutter using the cumulative area and the load curve. 16. The first cutter of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises pressing the test cutter. As a downhole tool,
A substrate having a contact surface and a cutting table comprising a first surface and a second surface, the substrate having a first toughness, the first toughness being determined from at least one test cutter having a second toughness, And a second surface coupled to the support at the contact surface,
The second toughness of the test cutter,
An acoustic sensor communicatively coupled to the test cutter; an indenter releasably coupled to the first surface, the indenter having greater toughness than the toughness of the test cutter; A load applied to the denter, the indenter transferring the load to the first surface;
Applying the load to the indenter, the indenter transferring the load to the test cutter;
Obtaining data from the acoustic emission test apparatus;
Detecting acoustic events occurring in said test cutter; And
Objectively calculating the second toughness of the test cutter
, ≪ / RTI >
Wherein the first cutter and the at least one test cutter are the same type of cutter. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein applying the load to the indenter comprises:
Increasing the load to a peak load at a ramp-up rate;
Maintaining the peak load for a predetermined time; And
Reducing the load to a ramp down rate
The downhole tool. 28. The downhole tool of claim 27, wherein the ramp down speed is faster than the ramp up speed. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein acquiring data from the acoustic emission testing device comprises acquiring data from the acoustic sensor and the load. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the acoustic emission testing device comprises the acoustic sensor coupled to the test cutter. 31. The downhole tool of claim 30, wherein the acoustic emission testing device further comprises a lubricant disposed between the acoustic sensor and the test cutter. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the acoustic emission testing device further comprises a holder including a cavity therein, wherein the test cutter is disposed within the cavity, and wherein the acoustic sensor is coupled to the holder. 33. The downhole tool of claim 32, wherein the diameter of the cavity is greater than the diameter of the test cutter to create a gap between an outer surface of the cavity and an outer surface of the test cutter. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the acoustic emission test apparatus further comprises a lubricant disposed within the cavity, wherein the lubricant comprises at least one of an outer surface of the cavity, an outer surface of the test cutter, Contacted, down-hole tool. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises heating the test cutter. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the method further comprises pressing the test cutter. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the indenter comprises a PDC end and the PDC end contacts the first surface of the test cutter. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the indenter comprises a cobalt concentration ranging from about 6% to about 20%. 27. The downhole tool of claim 26, wherein the indenter comprises a first end contacting the test cutter and having a dome shape. As a downhole tool,
Wherein the first toughness is determined from at least one test cutter having a second toughness, the support comprising a contact surface and a cutting table comprising a first surface and a second surface, A first cutter comprising a first surface and a second surface,
The second toughness of the test cutter,
A collection step of collecting acoustic data from a sound sensor when a load is applied to the test cutter by an acoustic data collection engine, the acoustic sensor being communicatively coupled to the test cutter;
A determination step of determining one or more background points by the background point determination engine;
Determining one or more possible acoustic event points by a possible acoustic event point determination engine;
An interpolation step of interpolating a background noise function curve using the background points by a background noise function curve interpolation engine;
Determining by the actual sound event point determination engine at least one actual sound event point using the possible sound event point and the background noise function curve; And
Calculating a sound event area surrounded by the actual sound event point and the background noise function curve by a real sound event area calculation engine;
Containing
Determined using computer implemented methods,
Wherein the first cutter and the at least one test cutter are the same type of cutter. 41. The downhole tool of claim 40, wherein the determination by the background point determination engine and the determination by the possible sound event point determination engine are performed simultaneously. 42. The method of claim 41 wherein a background point is determined when the difference between two consecutive data points is less than a first threshold and a possible acoustic event point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is greater than the first threshold , Downhole tool. 42. The method of claim 41 wherein a background point is determined when the difference between two consecutive data points is less than a second threshold and a possible acoustic event point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is greater than a first threshold, Down hole tool. 42. The method of claim 41, wherein if the difference between two consecutive data points is less than the second threshold and is negative and less than "z" consecutive times, or if the difference between two consecutive data points is less than and equal to the second threshold & "Number of consecutive times, a possible background event point is determined, and a possible acoustic event point is determined if the difference between two consecutive data points is greater than a first threshold. 41. The method of claim 40 wherein the actual sound event point is determined when the difference between the possible sound event point and the background noise function curve is greater than a third threshold. Down hole tool. 41. The downhole tool of claim 40, wherein each acoustic event area is calculated by multiplying the amplitude of each of the actual acoustic event points from the background noise function curve by the respective duration of each of the actual acoustic event points. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein the accumulation region and a load curve engine use a cumulative region surrounded by the actual sound event point and the background noise function curve for each actual sound event point, Wherein the downhole tool further comprises a generating step to generate the downhole tool. 48. The method of claim 47, wherein the cumulative area and the load curve are generated by plotting respective actual acoustic event points using a load for a corresponding actual acoustic point and a cumulative area for a corresponding actual point, And a total area below the corresponding actual acoustic point and below all previous real acoustic points. 49. The downhole tool of claim 47, wherein the user objectively determines the second toughness for the test cutter using the cumulative area and the load curve. 41. The downhole tool of claim 40, wherein the method further comprises pressing the test cutter.

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