UPDATE: Eric Lewis put together a more detailed drawing of the proposed permeable cone stocking, and there is a good discussion about it taking place over at Daily Kos.
UPDATE2: Just got an email from the Coast Guard, they have received 4,800 proposals to stop/contain the spill from all across the world.
Last night, I came across this picture on Daily Kos. With the failure of the containment dome, BP and the US government are now scrambling for a solution. We are joined today by Eric Lewis who came up with the permeable cone stocking idea.
Mr Lewis received a reply from Deep Water Horizon Response (DWHR), nothing significant most likely a stock response. We reached out to DWHR this morning and will update this post with any response.
The following inquiry was submitted to Deepwater Horizon Response on
05/10/10 10:27 (259571):
From : Joint Information Center
Date : 05/10/10 10:49
Dear Mr Lewis,
Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Unified Command is considering all options for mitigating both the response and clean-up efforts.
A telephone number has been set up to receive calls - 281 366 5511, and also an email account: horizonsupport@oegllc.com
For the most current information on the Deepwater Horizon Response, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
Sincerely, Joint Information Center Team
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From : Eric Lewis
Date : 05/10/10 10:27
I think I may have come up with an idea that will help contain the Gulf spill and can be manufactured relatively quickly. I am not an engineer, but I do have a Master of Industrial Design degree from The Rhode Island School of Design, where I received the Rachel Carson
Environmental award for ecologically responsible design.
Please find the attached jpeg sketch of a "Permeable Cone Stocking" concept.
The thought behind this is that it would avoid the complicated chemistry involved in deep sea high-pressure capture efforts, by making the tube between the leak and the surface PERMEABLE. As a result, this method allows some oil to escape, but more or less contains it within
the cone.
The drawing shows the bottom of the cone nailed to the ocean floor, but upon further consideration, it could simply be attached to a rigid steel hoop and positioned less precisely over the leak - so long as the majority of the spewing was going into the cone.
I very much hope you are able to find a solution soon. Thank you very much, and good luck!
Sincerely,
Eric Lewis
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