Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil • Hacker News Board

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#21

Post by asmithmd1 » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 3:25 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #20

asmithmd1 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The pressure of the oil at the leak is 3500 psi. It is coming out of a 20" dia pipe. 3.1415 * 10^2 * 3500 = ~550 tons of force, about the weight of a 200ft ship Then throw in a gas/oil 2-phase fluid with different viscosities and varying temperature -- it is not an easy problem to solve Some good technical info here: http://www.greendump.net/the-oil-drum/deepwater-oil-spill-th...

[deleted]

The pressure at 5000 ft under the ocean is roughly 2000psi relative to atmospheric pressure. 3500psi is the difference between the oil pressure and the pressure at the sea floor.

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#22

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 3:28 PM UTC

asmithmd1 wrote: post #15

GFischer wrote: post #7

My uncle (blacksmith/inventor) is pretty certain that step 1 (cutting the pipe) was a mistake, as he had a solution (which he e-mailed to BP, which of course ignored it) which involved the pipe (and a clamp). OTOH he doesn't have data on the exact pressures and forces involved, so BP probably had far better information on which to act. (and it's far easier to be an armchair engineer!)

The pressure of the oil at the leak is 3500 psi. It is coming out of a 20" dia pipe. 3.1415 * 10^2 * 3500 = ~550 tons of force, about the weight of a 200ft ship Then throw in a gas/oil 2-phase fluid with different viscosities and varying temperature -- it is not an easy problem to solve Some good technical info here: http://www.greendump.net/the-oil-drum/deepwater-oil-spill-th...

[deleted]

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#23

Post by bitsoffreedom » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 4:24 PM UTC

tocomment wrote: post #13

GFischer wrote: post #7

My uncle (blacksmith/inventor) is pretty certain that step 1 (cutting the pipe) was a mistake, as he had a solution (which he e-mailed to BP, which of course ignored it) which involved the pipe (and a clamp). OTOH he doesn't have data on the exact pressures and forces involved, so BP probably had far better information on which to act. (and it's far easier to be an armchair engineer!)

Maybe BP should have crowd sourced this problem. Publish all of the data that its engineers have access to. Maybe even offer a prize for a working solution.

Something like the Goldcorp Challenge maybe? http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/59/mcewen.html

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#24

Post by jcapote » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 5:22 PM UTC

giardini wrote: post #19

I find it difficult to believe that the basic mechanism of the BPO is unworkable. It's composed of 4 sequential independent valves, usually hydraulically-activated from a remote location: closing any one of the 4 should shut the well down. It should be possible to disconnect/bypass the communications, electrical, and hydraulic circuitry and manipulate the individual valves directly. The parts are of extremely high qu…

Exactly what I thought, why did the blow out preventer fail? It looks like it was designed for just this sort of thing

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#25

Post by aresant » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 6:02 PM UTC

"BP constructed a four-story containment dome" - keyword they "constructed", didn't have ready made.

Clearly this is taking so long because there is absolutely no preperation, these guys are following a manual and throwing mud against the wall.

Our gov't stimulous throws untold millions out into stimulous programs that offer little or no value, hopefully some bright gov't lacky decides to throw some R&D money into DARPA or otherwise to build better containment systems in the future instead of relying on corporations who have a max $75m tab.

The whole thing makes me sick. Sorry for the rant.

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#26

Post by ars » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 8:35 PM UTC

ck2 wrote: post #17

ars wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Be careful. There is no difference between a relief well and a regular well. What do you do if your relief well blows? Maybe if you drill two simultaneously, making sure they stay in sync. But the relief well needs to intersect with the regular one, so that might not actually be possible. > and here's hoping no major hurricanes this summer. Oh no. Quite the opposite! A hurricane would be the best thing possible. It w…

Hurricane would be good? Where will the oil disappear to in a hurricane? Alternate dimension? Or simply coating somewhere else on earth it's not supposed to be?

The oil is biodegradable. Very biodegradable actually. All you need is oxygen.

In deep water there isn't much oxygen, and when it coats shores only the top layer degrades (so it takes some time). But if you can spread it out it will all be gone.

And once degraded it leaves no residue at all.

Re: Graphic: Methods That Have Been Tried to Stop the Leaking Oil

#27

Post by ars » Fri, Jun 04, 2010, 8:39 PM UTC

jcapote wrote: post #24

giardini wrote: post #19

I find it difficult to believe that the basic mechanism of the BPO is unworkable. It's composed of 4 sequential independent valves, usually hydraulically-activated from a remote location: closing any one of the 4 should shut the well down. It should be possible to disconnect/bypass the communications, electrical, and hydraulic circuitry and manipulate the individual valves directly. The parts are of extremely high qu…

Exactly what I thought, why did the blow out preventer fail? It looks like it was designed for just this sort of thing

I hope that once it's sealed they recover the blowout preventer and figure out why it failed.