Power charge having a combustible sleeve

A power charge for igniting in a downhole tool to provide high pressure gas for powering the downhole tool, the power charge comprising:

• a sleeve which at least in part defines a housing for said power charge and a lateral periphery for an exterior of said power charge;
• a propellant packed into said sleeve, said propellant including of a mixture of combustible components, an oxidizer and a binder for providing a controlled burn rate to power the downhole tool;
• an igniter disposed in a first end face of said power charge, embedded into said propellant;
• and
• wherein said sleeve is formed of a combustible material, such that said sleeve will ignite and burn when exposed to said propellant when burned, and said combustible material is wound about a mandrel to define said sleeve, with said sleeve having a first end and a second end.

A power charge for igniting in a downhole tool to provide high pressure gas for powering the downhole tool, the power charge comprising:

• a sleeve which is cylindrically shaped and defines a housing which at least in part provides a cylindrically-shaped lateral periphery for the power charge;
• a propellant packed into said sleeve to form a continuous mass filling said sleeve, and having a first terminal end which defines a first end face of said power charge;
• said propellant including of a mixture of combustible components and an for providing a controlled burn rate to power the downhole tool, and said propellant further including a binder which cures to bind said propellant into a solid form;
• an igniter disposed in said first end face of said power charge, embedded into said propellant with said propellant in said solid form;
• and
• wherein said sleeve is formed of a sheet of combustible material, such that said sleeve will ignite and burn when exposed to said propellant when burned, and said sheet of combustible material is wound into layers to define said sleeve, with said sleeve having a first end and a second end, and each of said first end and said second end having open end faces, respectively.