Methods and systems are described for drilling a wellbore. A method includes: sensing electrical resistance of an insulated conductor extending from a surface of a drill bit to a sensor inside the drill bit; calculating drill bit dimensions based on the sensed electrical resistance; and transmitting sensed electrical resistance, calculated drill bit dimensions, or both uphole to a system for controlling drilling operations.

Methods and systems are described for drilling a wellbore. A method includes: sensing electrical resistance of an insulated conductor extending from a surface of a drill bit to a sensor inside the drill bit; calculating drill bit dimensions based on the sensed electrical resistance; and transmitting sensed electrical resistance, calculated drill bit dimensions, or both uphole to a system for controlling drilling operations.

A method includes receiving, at a computer, an Earth formation characteristic and a cutter characteristic of a cutter of an Earth drill bit and determining, with the computer, a cutting characteristic at an interface between the Earth formation and the cutter based on the Earth formation characteristic and the cutter characteristic using an Earth formation crushing model operating on the computer. The Earth formation crushing model includes an empirical determination of stress at the interface in a first of three mutually perpendicular axes and determinations of stress in the remaining two mutually perpendicular axes that are mathematical functions based on the empirical determination of stress. The method also includes outputting the determined cutting characteristic.

A method includes receiving, at a computer, an Earth formation characteristic and a cutter characteristic of a cutter of an Earth drill bit and determining, with the computer, a cutting characteristic at an interface between the Earth formation and the cutter based on the Earth formation characteristic and the cutter characteristic using an Earth formation crushing model operating on the computer. The Earth formation crushing model includes an empirical determination of stress at the interface in a first of three mutually perpendicular axes and determinations of stress in the remaining two mutually perpendicular axes that are mathematical functions based on the empirical determination of stress. The method also includes outputting the determined cutting characteristic.

An instrumented cutter including a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to a substrate with a sensor, for monitoring the condition of the polycrystalline compact diamond table, embedded in the substrate. Further the instrumented cutter includes a wireless transmitter equipped with a power supply to power to the wireless transmitter.

An instrumented cutter including a polycrystalline diamond table bonded to a substrate with a sensor, for monitoring the condition of the polycrystalline compact diamond table, embedded in the substrate. Further the instrumented cutter includes a wireless transmitter equipped with a power supply to power to the wireless transmitter.

Examples of techniques identifying and determining wear of a component used in a well operation are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method may include: identifying the component from a plurality of components, wherein an identifier is connected to the component, the identifier comprising a unique identifier to identify the component from the plurality of components; measuring a volume of sand passing through the component over a period of time; measuring a volume of fluid passing through the component over the period of time; and determining, by the processing system, a failure risk level for the component based at least in part on the volume of sand passing through the component over the period of time and based at least in part on the volume of fluid passing through the component over the period of time.

Examples of identifying a component used in a well operation using a leaky coaxial antenna are disclosed. In aspects of the present disclosure, a method may include: reading an electronic identifier connected to a component used in the well operation via the leaky coaxial antenna to obtain a unique identifier, wherein the electronic identifier comprises the unique identifier; identifying the component from a plurality of components by comparing the unique identifier to a plurality of unique identifiers stored in a data store; receiving usage data from a sensor connected to the identified component; storing, by the processing system, the usage data in the data store for the identified component; and determining a failure risk level for the component based at least in part on the stored usage data for the identified component, wherein the leaky coaxial antenna comprises a plurality of radiating regions and a plurality of non-radiating regions.

A cutting element for an earth-boring tool, the cutting element has a substrate; and a body of superhard polycrystalline material bonded to the substrate along an interface. Any one or both of the substrate or the body of superhard polycrystalline material has one or more sealed channels or regions therein, one or more of the regions or channels being arranged to retain a tracer element to provide data relating to a condition of the cutting element.

A cutting element for an earth-boring tool, the cutting element has a substrate; and a body of superhard polycrystalline material bonded to the substrate along an interface. Any one or both of the substrate or the body of superhard polycrystalline material has one or more sealed channels or regions therein, one or more of the regions or channels being arranged to retain a tracer element to provide data relating to a condition of the cutting element.