Invention community tries to solve Gulf oil leak

While most inventors focus on solving problems in their everyday lives, the blown oil well in the Gulf of Mexico has compelled many to apply their ingenuity in new ways. As of last week, BP had received 22,000 calls from inventors offering solutions to the oil leak.* Oil-eating bacteria, bombs and an umbrella-style plug are just some of the ideas that have been presented. 
 
Internet message boards are overflowing with ideas to repair the broken pipe or to assist with the extensive cleanup effort. Although some inventors have complained that BP is not listening to their ideas, BP spokesman Mark Salt says that the company wants the public’s help, but that considering proposed fixes takes time. Of the thousands of ideas that have been submitted to BP, about 700 have advanced to the next review phase.** According to BP spokesman David Nicholas, a team reviews each idea to determine if it can be successfully implemented. "…We ask, is this something new? Can we incorporate it into our stuff, or is there an overlap? There hasn't been one that's come from that system that's come all the way."** The Coast Guard and government agencies have also been receiving ideas from inventors. "You name it, it's been suggested,” says Coast Guard Senior Chief Petty Officer Steve Carleton.**

One invention that BP is already testing is a centrifuge developed by actor Kevin Costner (he’s invested more than $24 million dollars, along with business partner John Houghtaling II of New Orleans).** The device is like a big vacuum cleaner that removes oil from contaminated seawater. The centrifuges vary in size from 150 pounds to 4,500 pounds and are capable of cleaning up to 200 gallons of water per minute, or 210,000 gallons per day***. Daniel Drumheller, a sheet-metal manufacturer from the DC area, is another inventor who has developed a product that could help with the cleanup effort in the Gulf. Drumheller’s homemade continuous centrifugal oil separator is made of plastic cement buckets, PVC pipe and hoses. The device sucks oil from a pool of water into a vortex, separating it from the water and storing it in a reservoir.*
 
With tens of thousands of gallons of oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico every day, the importance of finding a solution becomes more crucial with each passing day.  Whether the idea comes from a team of BP scientists, a government task force or an independent inventor working out of a garage, we just hope that a solution is found soon!

* Martinez, Rebecca. “Area inventors try to solve Gulf oil leak.” newsleader.com. 26 May 2010. Web. 1 June 2010.

** Kunzelman, Michael and Baker, Mike. “Inventors say BP ignoring their oil spill ideas.” Associated Press. 19 May 2010. Web. 1 June 2010.

*** Sanchez, Ray. “Kevin Costner’s Machine Heads to BP’s Oil Spill Clean Up.”  ABC News. 19 May 2010. Web. 3 June 2010.

Comments

[Harlan Dutton]

I was suprised that the engineers at BP would try to match a seal to the end of a cut pipe a mile below the surface of the ocean. Would it not be far better to use an "inflatable" seal which would go on as a sleeve and fill with sea water. It would seem that this would present a more secure seal and stop the oil from escaping into the sea and allow the well to remain useful. It would require a larger pipe to slip over the remaining riser and an inflatable ring or rings which would be filled with the water.
This could be done even, now to replace the pipe they currently have in place and could be done far sooner than finishing the other wells they are drilling.

[Thaoms L Pahl]

I have patent(US 6,715,803 B1) on an expansion coupling, If you fitted a coupling similar to mine with burrs that would not let the coupling slip off and also have a seal to prevent leakage, then drive the coupling over the broken pipe. I feel this would suit your needs.
Thanks, Tom Pahl TPEC Couplings LLC

[Raul Cortez]

I already submitted an idea,but if they think won't work,I have another one more ordinary and less soffisticated,but within couple of hrs. once its putted together i'll plug that 'enviromental massacre' and be able to control it permanently(more work to do after total control to make it permanent) and catch all the oil. We'll be using all equipment already have, some surface welding works,in land machine shop,specialist machine shop engineer,lets not waist more time its critical situation.

[Sir Robert Bolf]

if you apply pressure to pressure using a inner expansion plug this will halt the flow of
oil
this is the only way to stop it i have the proto type

SIR ROBERT BOLF Inventor helper of the world

[Ron Smith]

Lets face the facts people. BP will not use any outside ideas to stop this disaster.. I submitted absolutely the very best solution well before the typical BP blunders were tried and FAILED. They had to see the JPG 92.6kb drawing of an internal plugging device that has flow thru pipe, that an elementry student would understand and realize this is the only answer to stop the flow. BP chose to cut the pipe - as they had no idea it would be cut as lopsided as they are, DUH! Now this is engineering at its finest, DUH! nearly 2 weeks later I get a confirmation they are reviewing the device-BS.. They have informed the news media the are making a larger and supposedly better cap that they hope-HOPE it will fix the leaking problem, DUH! Any of us out here need only a little common sense to realize this is the proof you need to step aside and let BP engineers do there finest work- BLUNDERS, again. So hang it up people as the CRAP they are throwing at us is BPPRBS..

[David Mcknight]

I think that i have three ways that they can try, I can send designs of what i mean! If you wont to know why now ythat im sending this email, i just saw this email from my old email address cofo9521@sbcglobal.net my new one is cofo2195@att.net
I KNOW THAT MY IDEA WOULD WORK.

[Ron Smith]

The Kevin Costner Centrifuge mentioned above is very simular to the old Cream Seperator we had on the farm when I was 10,I am 70 now. I was the Cranker and did I make it whir. As I remember it had a series of gears within a case along side that a final gear sent a 24" dia. gear around the perimeter of the huge drum, approx. 10gal.+, that held the fresh cows milk. As the drum spinned at high revolution approx. 2000rpm, the milk as the thinner agent would sling up and out -into a trough and into buckets as milk only. The heavier agent- the cream would remain and Mom would scoop it up and put it in Mason canning jars and wrap it with cloth feed bags and bang it up and down for a while and it made the sweetest butter you would ever lay your tongue to. It is my opinion that $24 million is typical of some taking advantage of someone who has money to waste away. I believe some of you folks could build a cheaper device with: a series of stainless steel pipes several feet long having a solar device-a series of magnifying glasses-Fresnel Lenses- focus them at a proper efficient distance from, but upon stainless pipe and boil the water at 212 degrees ? -salt water to steam out of the oil- as oil boils well above 240 degrees ?. This water cleaning takes place in all 4cycle engines as moisture forms within an engine crankcase and it was expelled as steam out the valve cover or oil fill vent- for any of you old enough to remember the good old days.

[David Mcknight]

I foget to say CONTECT ME------A S A P

[david herring sr.]

oil spill. oil floats right? cut a igloo type section out of the end of a larger pipe than the leaking one then set it over the leak and let the oil float up into the bottom of a half submerged containment box then pump it onto tankers. the water does the work all the pipe does is keep the current from spreading the oil.

[david herring sr.]

cut a igloo DOOR IN THE PIPE.

[anthony paul]

take a strong untairable hose that will slide over the pipe with a draw cable to pull tight @ the other end to heads to connet a hose to pump it to a tanker when that tankers full connet the other hose to another thaker and so on