Potential solution to the Gulf oil leak: don't cap it, plug it!

Trying to cap the pipe is inherently difficult because of the pressure pushing the cap off. Ted Funger had the idea of stopping the leak with a cone-shaped plug that can drop INTO the end of the pipe, just above the blow out preventer. We've tested it at a small scale with a hose pipe, and it works very well; it should just take a bit of engineering analysis to scale it up.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• gulf oil spill
• gulf oil leak
• blow out preventer
• gulf oil
• oil leak
• oil spill
• top kill
• junk shot
• gulf oil spill update
• bp
• deepwater horizon
• gulf of mexico

[BL4NDY]

This was a volcano to begin with , there is a lot of dis information out there and your all falling for it , As for it being rubber, this is just showing you how easy it is to plug the hole, no one said it had to be made out of rubber, I'm waitin for your next comment that what he has is way to small for the hole ..... ,,Good work guys looks like a plan ....

[puffadderbite]

any kind of rubber down there will warp and crack and crumble.

[Judy101101]

@bigstjustinbieberfan I think the problem is even worse then we first thought. they can't block it because it's more like a volcano now, if you block it from the top the pressure will open up surrounding area's - there is cracks on the floor of the ocean where they think it will come out. even blowing that sucker up might cause more problems.

[bigstjustinbieberfan]

@Judy101101 it did indeed stop a hose with 60-80 psi which if you have efer tried is very hard.

With thousands of pounds of force from a plug weighing tons that gusher is a gonner and will stop easily!!! its the shape and weight that makes it work--think about it!

[reinievideo]

Thanks for your idea! We've all got to keep trying! -see mine @ reinievideo (youtube)

[jbranstetter04]

Question. How far down is there a pipe? How far did they drill from the bottom of the sea until they struck oil? I think the solution will center on a seal material and a way of applying it with a metal cap etc.

Maybe put a metal hose down it and release some material that expands almost instantly thereby plugging it permanently. But then how would they get the oil out for us to use in our cars?

[JustCaLLMeDp]

this is all fine and dandy but did anyone think about what happens to the oil/pressure once it's blocked? it doesnt just stand still once its clogged up. i.e. where does the oil go if not forward? backward into the earth?

[glenanimals]

@bigstjustinbieberfan i tell you what im shore the guys who work for BP

have PHD and masters

and they cant fix a toilet ,they are there the ones that got them self into this mess

and they cant fix it,what shame they must feel knowing that i can up with the idear

to fix the problem

i guess there EGO cant take it

and all your schooling has fail you bad spelling and all

[glenanimals]

@bigstjustinbieberfan im not english

[bigstjustinbieberfan]

@anddestro Good idea the top of our cone can have an attachment to provide a means to connect a hose and a valve to open up once the leak is plugged