Innovative ideas to deal with oil spills

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gzt

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Topic # 91510 14-Oct-2011 12:53

There is a lot of debate and discussion about how the spill response process, recovery and cleanup has been implemented. This thread is not about that part of it at all.

It is clear our technology is not up to the task wherever in the world this has happened.

This is NZ, so there are blokes and blokettes in sheds right now working on the problem and it is a given that NZ will produce some innovative solutions.

If you don't have a shed or are just too busy to complete the project, then post your idea here

It's ok if it sounds like crazy!

floydbloke

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Reply # 533359 14-Oct-2011 13:59

Soak it up with Wallaby rugby jerseys.

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important. (T.S. Eliot)

NonprayingMantis

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Reply # 533363 14-Oct-2011 14:07

whenever there is an oil slick I have noticed that seagulls always get covered in oil.

solution to oil slick: specialy breed lots of seagulls to attract the oil, then bury them in a landfill.

MikeSkyrme

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Reply # 533370 14-Oct-2011 14:19

NonprayingMantis: whenever there is an oil slick I have noticed that seagulls always get covered in oil.

solution to oil slick: specialy breed lots of seagulls to attract the oil, then bury them in a landfill.

+1 for humour...... needed a good laugh after the morning I am having....

As for ideas to deal with oil spills, the best idea I have seen is a super-tanker sized vessel, with modified hull, capable of skimming the oil (and water) and separating them. The water is then treated and the oil held in storage tanks.

I imagine one of these would not be cheap.....

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls

gzt

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Reply # 533379 14-Oct-2011 14:30

Wool has the ability to absorb up to 10 times its weight in [Edit: heavy fuel] oil.

We could genetically engineer large flocks of amphibian suicide sheep.

But seriously wool appears to be very useful, and we have a lot of it.

After use it can be pressed to recover the oil, and then used again.

http://www.economist.com/node/21516813

wellygary

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Reply # 533394 14-Oct-2011 15:07

MikeSkyrme:
NonprayingMantis: whenever there is an oil slick I have noticed that seagulls always get covered in oil.

solution to oil slick: specialy breed lots of seagulls to attract the oil, then bury them in a landfill.

+1 for humour...... needed a good laugh after the morning I am having....

As for ideas to deal with oil spills, the best idea I have seen is a super-tanker sized vessel, with modified hull, capable of skimming the oil (and water) and separating them. The water is then treated and the oil held in storage tanks.

I imagine one of these would not be cheap.....

+ it didn't really work very well

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/the-super-skimmer-that-wasnt/

MikeSkyrme

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Reply # 533402 14-Oct-2011 15:15

wellygary:
MikeSkyrme:
NonprayingMantis: whenever there is an oil slick I have noticed that seagulls always get covered in oil.

solution to oil slick: specialy breed lots of seagulls to attract the oil, then bury them in a landfill.

+1 for humour...... needed a good laugh after the morning I am having....

As for ideas to deal with oil spills, the best idea I have seen is a super-tanker sized vessel, with modified hull, capable of skimming the oil (and water) and separating them. The water is then treated and the oil held in storage tanks.

I imagine one of these would not be cheap.....

+ it didn't really work very well

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/20/the-super-skimmer-that-wasnt/

Agreed, however the gulf oil spill was a completely different scenario. Oil from that depth will not rise in a nice convenient column, the ocean currents will disperse the oil and spread many small concentrations across the sea surface.

Heavy fuel oil leaking onto the surface of the sea will not disperse at the same rate as crude oil from a well.

The best way to deal with subsea leaks is to not have them in the first place..... but that is an entirely different discussion.

Michael Skyrme - Instrumentation & Controls