I realize the comments I'm about to make don't have much to do with photography but, I am a nature photographer watching this with agony about the long term results that may not be known even yet.
What makes me concerned about all of these cap attempts is that BP has continually mentioned that the effectiveness is determined by how tight of a seal they can get at the source. Just for a background note: I've been in the steel fabrication business for 30 years.
Directly below where they cut the riser pipe, and didn't get the clean cut desired, are two precision machined flanges that are bolted together. Somewhere those details are on paper that should have allowed for a much tighter cap fit along with a type of sealing mechanism followed by a method of pins under the flanges that would not allow the cap to be forced off of the riser. My mechanical engineering background is minimal but this really doesn't seem to far fetched.
For those photographers and others who enjoy this area on a regular basis (an area I have yet to visit), I pray for you all.
Funny, I've been thinking along the same lines. That rubber seal that they've got going on isn't working out too well. I've been a designer/manufacturer of SCUBA for about 30 years. Making things NOT leak underwater is my business. Evidently there is an issue where if they completely seal off the leak there could be a pressure buildup in the piping below the sea floor. If that ruptures it will be impossible to stop the leak. I've sent a few ideas to BP engineering, which you can do here:http://www.bp.com/bodycopyarticle.do?categoryId=1&contentId=7052055. On the right hand side of the page is a phone number under "Do you have ideas to help us". If you call them they will send you a form by email to fill out in order to submit your idea. Look here to see if your idea worked: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/bp-oil-spill-live-feed-vi_n_590635.html They do have a plan to replace the current setup with one that they feel will work much better, although details of the new design are not available to my knowledge.
Discussion
1 repliesWhat makes me concerned about all of these cap attempts is that BP has continually mentioned that the effectiveness is determined by how tight of a seal they can get at the source. Just for a background note: I've been in the steel fabrication business for 30 years.
Directly below where they cut the riser pipe, and didn't get the clean cut desired, are two precision machined flanges that are bolted together. Somewhere those details are on paper that should have allowed for a much tighter cap fit along with a type of sealing mechanism followed by a method of pins under the flanges that would not allow the cap to be forced off of the riser. My mechanical engineering background is minimal but this really doesn't seem to far fetched.
For those photographers and others who enjoy this area on a regular basis (an area I have yet to visit), I pray for you all.