A setting tool includes a barrel piston that is configured to couple to a setting sleeve and defines a working surface and a vent port. An upper mandrel is disposed within the barrel piston and defines a power charge chamber that is configured to receive a power charge and includes an upper threaded portion, a lower internal thread, and a plurality of axial discharge ports disposed circumferentially around the lower internal thread. The plurality of axial discharge ports are in fluid communication at one end with the power charge chamber and at the other end with the working surface of the barrel piston. A lower mandrel has an upper end and a lower end, with the upper end in threaded engagement with the lower internal thread of the upper mandrel, and the lower end configured to couple to a frac plug. The power charge chamber includes an upper chamber and a lower chamber, with the lower chamber shaped to open to be in fluid communication with each of the plurality of axial discharge ports. The barrel piston is configured for axial displacement with respect to the upper mandrel to position the vent port in fluid communication with the power charge chamber.

A power charge for actuating a wellbore tool. Combustion of the power charge generates gas and corresponding gas pressure within the wellbore tool and the power charge and wellbore tool are configured for providing a path to an expansion chamber for the gas pressure. A body of the power charge may have the shape of a regular polygonal cylinder, thus defining flow-paths for the expanding gas. The power charge may include a cylinder of energetic material and an interior space formed within the energetic material and configured for receiving an igniter and/or ignition material. Ignition of the igniter or ignition material results in combustion of the power charge.

A system for a self-ignitable secondary igniter. The system includes an outer wall extending for a length. The outer wall has a first end and a second end, and the outer wall is filled with a charge. The first end has a centralized-contact spring which is in contact with the outer wall. The centralized-contact spring has a recess and at least one leaf which contacts the outer wall. The system can further include an igniter coupled to the recess of the centralized-contact spring.

The present disclosure relates to a well plug setting tool having a retrievable dog assembly, which replaces a mule shoe structure used in a state-of-the-art setting tool. The well plug setting tool according to the present disclosure reduces the amount of drillable or dissolvable material used for setting well plugs.

A disposable setting tool includes a housing having a first end, a second end, and an intermediate portion having an outer surface and an inner surface defining a passage. A piston assembly is arranged in the passage. The piston assembly including a first piston portion and a second piston portion that extends axially outwardly of the second end of the housing. The first piston portion includes a first end portion, a second end portion, and an intermediate section having an outer surface portion and an inner surface portion that extends between the first end portion and the second end portion. The inner surface portion defines a pressure passage. An atmospheric chamber is defined between the inner surface of the housing and the outer surface portion of the piston assembly.

An actuator for setting a downhole tool comprises a first propellant configured to be ignited by an igniter, and a second propellant configured to be ignited by combustion of the first propellant, the first propellant abutting the second propellant such that the first propellant covers an axial end of the second propellant. The first propellant is configured to combust more quickly than the second propellant.

A setting tool for setting frac plugs and the like can include a mandrel having a chamber for housing expandable gas and a gas port in fluid communication with the chamber; a firing head secured to the mandrel for igniting a power charge to generate pressurized gas within the chamber; a barrel piston housing the mandrel and connected to a sleeve for setting the frac plug; and an expansion region defined between the mandrel and the barrel piston and receiving the pressurized gas which exerts force to cause a stroke of the barrel piston over the mandrel as the expansion region expands axially. The setting tool can include various features, such as certain gas bleed systems, an enhanced shear screw assembly, a bleed port and plug assembly, a scribe line, a particular gas port configuration, a liquid escape conduit, no-shoulder barrel configuration, and/or a low-force design for frac plugs.

A setting tool for use in wells includes a mandrel formed with an interior combustion chamber. The setting tool further includes a barrel piston sized and configured to extend at least partially over an exterior of the mandrel and a shear device coupled to a portion of the mandrel and coupled to the barrel piston when in an in-line configuration. The mandrel includes an upper portion having a lead portion, an engagement portion, and a wrench-application portion. The wrench-application portion has a longitudinal length in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 to receive a wrench and avoid damage to the shear device. Other tools are disclosed.

A setting tool for setting a downhole tool comprises a housing attached at its downhole end to a setting mandrel. A piston is slidably movable axially inside the housing and defines an upper and lower pressure chambers within the housing. A power charge is disposed in the piston. A crosslink sleeve supported on the setting mandrel is coupled to a crosslink key that extends into a slot in the wall of the setting mandrel, such that movement of the crosslink key along the slot also moves the crosslink sleeve axially relative to the mandrel. To actuate the setting tool, the power charge is ignited to increase pressure in the upper pressure chamber, thereby exerting an axial force on the piston to directly push the crosslink key, along with the crosslink sleeve, to shift downhole relative to the housing. The shifting of the crosslink sleeve sets the downhole tool.

A gas-operated, fixed-volume, downhole setting tool includes a mandrel having an upper portion and a lower portion. The mandrel has a first end on the upper portion and a second end on the lower portion. The mandrel also includes an interior combustion chamber having a first end proximate to the first end of the mandrel and having an interior upper portion. The setting tool further includes a pressure bulkhead with a pressure igniter disposed in the mandrel at the first end of the mandrel in the interior upper portion of the mandrel. The pressure igniter is sealed to at least a first threshold pressure. The pressure bulkhead and pressure igniter form a seal on the first end of the mandrel and thereby define a fixed volume for combustion gases. Other settings tools and assemblies are presented.