Capping a Catastrophe: Local inventor submits idea for stopping gulf oil spill

[highplainsdem]

Source: Brownsville Herald

Capping a Catastrophe: Local inventor submits idea for stopping gulf oil spill

May 21, 2010 8:49 PM

By STEVE CLARK, The Brownsville Herald

Michael Max, a Brownsville inventor with extensive experience in marine salvage, says he knows how to stop the BP’s Horizon oil leak currently poisoning the Gulf of Mexico and how to stop it quick — by modifying a piece of equipment BP tried and gave up on weeks ago.

Max’s idea for wind turbine design was featured recently in The Brownsville Herald and "Inventors Digest" magazine. "Inventors Digest" again thought enough of Max’s idea — two ideas, actually — for stopping the oil leak that it posted them prominently on its website, www.inventorsdigest.com.

BP’s first attempt to stop the leak — after it became clear emergency shut-off valves weren’t working — was to fabricate a massive containment dome and lower it over the leak in an effort to contain the oil and run, which would have been funneled through a mile-long pipe to tanker on the surface. The effort was abandoned when ice formed by gas and water made the 100-ton steel dome too buoyant.

Max’s first solution call for the dome — which he calls a "house" — to be retrieved from the seafloor and the top of the structure to be removed and then reattached with a hinge. Some type of lock that robot submersibles can operate should be installed opposite the hinge, Max says. The house should be lowered over the leak with the top open, then the lid closed via a cable operated by a topside crane. Subs should secure the lock and problem solved, says Max.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/inventor-112411-marine-gulf.html

[notadmblnd]

1. There are so many good ideas and so far no one appears to be listening

[villager]

3. Not BP, not the administration...

n/t

[RandomThoughts]

2. I wonder it that could match Oz tale at all? n/t

And from other thread, most of what is in news is diversion, I agree.

Many stories made to try and keep people from holding people accountable. 2 years after banking theft, and a bill gets through congress? and missing some accountability and break up amendments? They burning.

:shrug:

While people fret about many other things, so they do not focus on problems, hence why I still move everything to the metaphors that keep focus. And note that they destroy many people in those diversions if people do what they are told and do not think and feel on things.

Strawmen, and talking heads mostly, but also many good people trying to do good, but with stolen free will from deception.

Stay on Target, Stay on Target.

[gristy]

4. Not clear what problem this inventor has solved.

It's a good guess he didn't solve the problem of freezing hydrates.

[scentopine]

8. I thought for sure they would

bring it back up and fashion a heat exchanger out of loops of steel pipe placed on inside of box. Then they could circulate hot water through the exchanger and raise the local temperature enough to melt the gas and send it up the oil pipe where it could be flared off.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. How does this solve the problem with the 'dome'?

The initial blowout had 260+ tons of 'lift'. How is a 100-ton piece of crap going to plug it, no matter how the top is attached to the sides?

I'm all for plugging the hell out of that thing, but this doesn't fix why the dome failed in the first place.

[scentopine]

6. Thanks for this - can anyone explain the advantage of this...

how does this address the failure mode of the original attempt at using this giant box?

Is the idea to open the top or relief values at some periodic interval to let accumulating gas and hydrates out?

[ShamelessHussy]

7. hey, that was my idea :P

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8310742

but i also suggested 'nailing' it to the sea floor, too.

it would be a temp solutions, and possibly some oil would still leak from the bottom, but it might slow it enough :shrug:

sheesh, they gotta work faster at least, this is going on waaaay too long.

and yes ALL deep sea drilling needs to be HALTED, yesterday, wtf are they thinking, as it is obvious there is NO plan when there is a failure.

:argh:

[CountAllVotes]

9. another idea ...

from the BP Finance messages:

>>Gentlemen,
.
I have been trying to contact BP officials for 19 days to no avail. I have a bonafide solution to quell the discharge. I have made revisions to my solution and now require the latitude to interlace my solutions after reviewing the newly released video. The previous solution has been proven with a scale model at 3000psi at 1 atmosphere. You know this pressure ratio is greater than yours. If in fact you are dealing with 'moderate' pressures then my solution becomes even more viable. It has been rumored that the flow rate has grown geometrically from 5000barrels/day. This solution is dynamic and can easily be scaled up to a theoretically unbounded limit. Methyl hydrates,extreme pressures and temperature DO NOT minimize the effectiveness of this solution. This solution can be easily be awarded a design patent, with a few modifications, and can readily be utilized in a underwater blowout environment anywhere in the world. I have not and will not contact media with this solution. I will need a five day lead time. Please contact me. I need to meet with a assembled group comprised of the following; a geophysical engineer or equivalent, a mechanical engineer or equivalent, a supply and logistics coordinator or equivalent, and a manager with decision making capability.
Thank you,
REDACTED
I feel you need to contact me for my proposal.

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/Stocks_%28A_to_Z%29/Stocks_B/threadview?m=te&bn=26496&tid=90839&mid=90839&tof=6&frt=2#90839

Lots of criticisms and no answers.

:kick:

[MilesColtrane]

10. Why can't they build a similar dome with a built in radiator and power source so that...

it's temperature stays warm enough to melt any ice that would form inside of it?

[TheMadMonk]

11. Make a few further modifications and it will work.

Let's use the Washington monument as our template since everyone knows what that looks like.

Snip the pyramid at the tip off. Weld a large plate around the bottom. Attach some pulleys at the corners at the top, and more pulleys on the corners of the pyramid. drop base and shaft over the well head. Pile as much deadweight as possible on the base plate. Or use vacuum anchors. Grout gaps. Use cables and winches to draw tip down to shaft. While there is a small gap, attach pipe, establish flow, (heat as necessary) close the gap and Bob's your uncle. Grout remaining leaks from collapsed riser to finish the job.

Ultimately, and hopefully much sooner than later, this blowout will be capped and brought under control.

I'm more interested in looking ahead. How can future wells be proofed against a repeat. And how can existing wells be hardened.