Wireline setting assembly

1 . A wireline setting assembly for engaging a downhole tool comprising:

a cylinder, a piston, a mandrel, a sleeve adapter, and a crosslink;

wherein said cylinder comprises a cylinder wall, at least one orifice, and an internal cavity comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

wherein said at least one orifice provides an opening between said lower chamber and an exterior of said cylinder;

wherein said piston comprises a piston head, a piston body, a piston bottom end, and a crosslink receptacle;

wherein said mandrel comprises a mandrel cavity, a first mandrel crosslink slot, and a second mandrel crosslink slot;

wherein said first mandrel crosslink slot and said second mandrel crosslink slot each extend along an axial length of said mandrel;

wherein said sleeve adapter comprises a sleeve adapter cavity, a first sleeve adapter crosslink slot, and a second sleeve adapter crosslink slot;

wherein said mandrel is within said sleeve adapter cavity;

wherein a bottom end of said cylinder is removably fastened to a top end of said mandrel;

wherein said piston head forms an airtight seal against an inner wall of said lower chamber;

wherein said crosslink affixes said sleeve adapter to said piston by extending through said first sleeve adapter crosslink slot, said second sleeve adapter crosslink slot, and said crosslink receptacle;

wherein said crosslink slidably affixes said piston and said sleeve adapter to said mandrel by extending through said first mandrel crosslink slot and said second mandrel crosslink slot;

wherein said crosslink, said piston, and said sleeve adapter are configured to engage in a sliding motion along said axial length;

wherein motion of said piston along said axial length results in said piston head moving between a first location in said lower chamber and a second location in said lower chamber.

2 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an annular fluid cavity between said piston body and said cylinder wall in said lower chamber, and wherein said wireline setting assembly is configured to allow annular fluid to fill said annular fluid cavity when said wireline setting assembly is submerged in said annular fluid.

3 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 2 , wherein said wireline setting assembly is configured to engage in said sliding motion in response to pressure in said upper chamber.

4 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 3 wherein, when said annular fluid is in said annular fluid cavity, flow of said annular fluid out of said annular fluid cavity through said at least one orifice causes a resistance against said sliding motion.

5 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 4 , wherein said pressure is released through said at least one orifice when said piston head moves to said second location.

6 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 5 , wherein said lower chamber has a first inner diameter at said first location and said lower chamber has a second inner diameter at said second location, wherein said second inner diameter is larger than said first inner diameter, and wherein said airtight seal becomes disengaged when said piston head moves to said second location.

7 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 5 , wherein said pressure is created by a setting charge producing charge gas that flows into said upper chamber.

8 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 4 , wherein each said at least one orifice is configured to receive an orifice plug and each said orifice plug further comprises an orifice plug tube.

9 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 8 , wherein decreasing a size of each said orifice plug tube increases said resistance.

10 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 8 , wherein said at least one orifice is two orifices and each said orifice plug tube has a diameter of between approximately 0.010 and 0.055 inches.

11 . The wireline setting assembly of claim 4 , wherein said sleeve adapter is configured to removably attach to a setting sleeve and said mandrel is configured to removably attach to a tool adapter;

wherein said sliding motion along said axial length causes relative motion of said sleeve adapter and said tool adapter;

wherein said wireline setting adapter is configured to cause engagement of said downhole tool in response to said relative motion.

12 . A wireline setting assembly kit comprising:

a cylinder, a piston, a mandrel, a sleeve adapter, and a crosslink;

wherein said cylinder comprises a cylinder wall, at least one orifice, and an internal cavity comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

wherein said at least one orifice provides an opening between said lower chamber and an exterior of said cylinder;

wherein said piston comprises a piston head, a piston body, a piston bottom end, and a crosslink receptacle;

wherein said mandrel comprises a mandrel cavity, a first mandrel crosslink slot, and a second mandrel crosslink slot;

wherein said first mandrel crosslink slot and said second mandrel crosslink slot each extend along an axial length of said mandrel;

wherein said sleeve adapter comprises a sleeve adapter cavity, a first sleeve adapter crosslink slot, and a second sleeve adapter crosslink slot;

wherein said cylinder is configured to receive said piston head;

wherein a bottom end of said cylinder is configured to be removably fastened to a top end of said mandrel;

wherein said sleeve adapter cavity is configured to receive said mandrel;

wherein said cylinder is configured to create an airtight seal between said piston head and an inner wall of said lower chamber;

wherein said sleeve adapter and said piston are configured to be affixed together by said crosslink extending through said first sleeve adapter crosslink slot, said second sleeve adapter crosslink slot, and said crosslink receptacle;

wherein said sleeve adapter, said piston, and said mandrel are configured to be slidably affixed together by said crosslink extending through said first mandrel crosslink slot and said second mandrel crosslink slot;

wherein, when said wireline assembly kit is assembled, said crosslink, said piston, and said sleeve adapter are configured to engage in a sliding motion along said axial length;

wherein motion of said piston along said axial length results in said piston head moving between a first location in said lower chamber and a second location in said lower chamber.

13 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 12 , wherein said piston and said cylinder are configured to create an annular fluid cavity between said piston body and said cylinder wall in said lower chamber, and wherein, when said wireline setting assembly is assembled and submerged in annular fluid, said annular fluid fills said annular fluid cavity.

14 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 13 , wherein, when said kit is assembled, a pressure in said upper chamber causes said sliding motion.

15 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 14 wherein, when said kit is assembled and when said annular fluid is in said annular fluid cavity, flow of said annular fluid out of said annular fluid cavity through said at least one orifice causes a resistance against said sliding motion.

16 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 15 , wherein, when said kit is assembled, said pressure is released through said at least one orifice when said piston head moves to said second location.

17 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 16 , wherein said lower chamber has a first inner diameter at said first location and said lower chamber has a second inner diameter at said second location, wherein said second inner diameter is larger than said first inner diameter, and wherein, when said kit is assembled, said airtight seal becomes disengaged when said piston head moves to said second location.

18 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 16 , wherein said pressure is created by a setting charge producing charge gas that flows into said upper chamber.

19 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 15 , wherein each said at least one orifice is configured to receive an orifice plug and each said orifice plug further comprises an orifice plug tube.

20 . The wireline setting assembly kit of claim 19 , wherein said at least one orifice is two orifices and each said orifice plug tube has a diameter of between approximately 0.010 and 0.055 inches.

21 . A method of using a wireline setting assembly to engage a downhole tool comprising the steps of:

1) Assembling said wireline setting assembly;

2) Attaching said downhole tool to said wireline setting assembly and placing a setting charge in said wireline setting assembly;

3) Lowering said wireline setting assembly into a casing;

4) Filling said wireline setting assembly with annular fluid in said casing;

5) Engaging said wireline setting assembly by detonating said setting charge;

6) Releasing a pressure caused by said setting charge;

7) Removing said wireline setting assembly from said casing;

8) Disassembling said wireline setting assembly;

wherein said wireline setting assembly comprises a cylinder, a piston, a mandrel, a sleeve adapter, and a crosslink;

wherein said cylinder comprises a cylinder wall, at least one orifice, and an internal cavity comprising an upper chamber and a lower chamber;

wherein said at least one orifice provides an opening between said lower chamber and an exterior of said cylinder;

wherein said piston comprises a piston head, a piston body, a piston bottom end, and a crosslink receptacle;

wherein said mandrel comprises a mandrel cavity, a first mandrel crosslink slot, and a second mandrel crosslink slot;

wherein said first mandrel crosslink slot and said second mandrel crosslink slot each extend along an axial length of said mandrel;

wherein said sleeve adapter comprises a sleeve adapter cavity, a first sleeve adapter crosslink slot, and a second sleeve adapter crosslink slot;

wherein said assembling step comprises the step of removably fastening a bottom end of said cylinder to a top end of said mandrel;

wherein said assembling step comprises the step of inserting said crosslink through said first sleeve adapter crosslink slot, said second sleeve adapter crosslink slot, said first mandrel crosslink slot, said second mandrel crosslink slot, and said crosslink receptacle to affix said sleeve adapter to said piston and to slidably affix said piston and said sleeve adapter to said mandrel;

wherein said assembling step comprises the step of sliding said piston head into a first position of said lower chamber to create an airtight seal against an inner wall of said lower chamber;

wherein, in said engaging step, said crosslink, said piston, and said sleeve adapter engage in a sliding motion along said axial length and motion of said piston along said axial length results in said piston head moving between said first location in said lower chamber and a second location in said lower chamber.

22 . The method of claim 21 , wherein said assembling step creates an annular fluid cavity between said piston body and said cylinder wall in said lower chamber, and wherein, in said filling step, annular fluid flows from said casing into said annular fluid cavity.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein, in said engaging step, detonating said setting charge creates said pressure in said upper chamber and said pressure causes said sliding motion.

24 . The method of claim 23 wherein, in said engaging step, flow of said annular fluid out of said annular fluid cavity through said at least one orifice causes a resistance against said sliding motion.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein, in said releasing step, said pressure is released through said at least one orifice when said piston head moves to said second location.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein said lower chamber has a first inner diameter at said first location and said lower chamber has a second inner diameter at said second location, wherein said second inner diameter is larger than said first inner diameter, and wherein, in said releasing step, said airtight seal becomes disengaged when said piston head moves to said second location.

27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein each said at least one orifice is configured to receive an orifice plug and each said orifice plug further comprises an orifice plug tube.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said assembling step comprises the steps of identifying a desired level of said resistance, installing each said orifice plug in each said at least one orifice, wherein each said orifice plug has an orifice plug tube size selected to achieve said desired level of said resistance.

29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said at least one orifice is two orifices and each said orifice plug tube has a diameter of between approximately 0.010 and 0.055 inches.