Pinch It Off !!!,

[seapower]

Now I'm no hydraulic's engineer but, why can't they use the shear's to simply pinch the pipe and stop the oil flow. Maybe it wouldn't stop it 100%, but it would slow it significantly. If the robot's are as nibble as they look, they could pinch the pipe closed, fold it over (as many times as needed) and pinch it again until the flow stop's. I mean we do this with hose's all the time. Is there something I'm not understanding here??? I mean if they had a stop flow valve in the pipe like they said they had (which didn't work), it can't be stronger than the pipe itself. The pipe has to be able to with stand the pressure to begin with. Pinch it off!!!!! Frank

[gottaflylee]

A big pipe just doesn't bend that easy and under water, a ROV doesn't weigh that much. Looks like this new cap has some great possibilities...

[seapower]

I would think that if it has enough power to shear it, they could flatten it as well. May have to use a different head, but once the wall start's to collapse it's a done deal. Frank

[Doin'It]

Frank, I think it has to do with the ductility and modulus of the steel alloy the pipe is made out of. If it's high modulus, (brittle) low ductility (not elastic) it would crack/break at the point where the stress is applied. I have no idea what the alloy is, hopefully they have thought of this. I'm wondering if they're considering pushing a hose coupled to pipe down over the stem and bringing it up to the surface and pumping the oil in a tanker. This thing has gone on far to long.

[seapower]

I thought of the same thing and no I don't know the make up of the pipe. Some metal's the more corrosion resistant, the more brittle it is. With oil flow on the inside and salt water on the outside, I'm sure it's not your hardware store type stuff. Just seem's to me that there's a common sense approach that should work. I like the idea of a large diameter hose slipped over the end, that's clamped in place, leading to the surface. Get the engineer's outta the way and let some "moonshine" builder's in there, I have every idea they'd figure out something that would work, until a relief well can be drilled. Frank

[Doin'It]

I thought of the same thing and no I don't know the make up of the pipe. Some metal's the more corrosion resistant, the more brittle it is. With oil flow on the inside and salt water on the outside, I'm sure it's not your hardware store type stuff. Just seem's to me that there's a common sense approach that should work. I like the idea of a large diameter hose slipped over the end, that's clamped in place, leading to the surface. Get the engineer's outta the way and let some "moonshine" builder's in there, I have every idea they'd figure out something that would work, until a relief well can be drilled. Frank

Harsh conditions for sure. Totally agree with you about getting some people (federal government) outta of the way and get some get it done folks in there to solve and fix the problem. I still find it very disturbing that BP and the rest of the industry is not ready to deal with this. How many offshore rigs are producing? And this could happen anywhere anytime?

[clt_capt]

Ain't nuthin wrong with some serious duct tape engineering - Probably a few too many PhDs and Nuclear Physicists involved to get to a workable solution...

[Robja]

Ain't nuthin wrong with some serious duct tape engineering - Probably a few too many PhDs and Nuclear Physicists involved to get to a workable solution...

Nuclear Physicist??????? I did not know Zummie was working on the problem

[seapower]

If he is, we got nuthin to worry about We can say thing's like that in "Mix it Up", can't we??? Frank

[N2theBlue]

I like the idea of a large diameter hose slipped over the end, that's clamped in place, leading to the surface.

thats what they are trying to do now, that was why it was cut so they could have a clean end to put the cap on and get the best seal possible.