Public: Disaster: Oil
superhydrophobic coatings for the oil spill removal funnel   (+1)  [vote for, against]
coat the inside of the funnel with a superhydrophobic coating to prevent the deposition of gas hydrate crystals on the inside walls of the funnel

A solution to a current problem.
-- daseva, May 09 2010

I thought it was just ice on the funnel? But if it's a gas hydrate, would a superhydrophobic coating work?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


Also, why can't they just dump tons of rock and concrete on the hole?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


Super low temperature, high pressure environment, leads to inconclusive maths.
-- daseva, May 09 2010


Why not simply charge people admission to zip around the oil slick in jet boats that are fuelled by the slick itself?

Jet boats.
-- rcarty, May 09 2010


//Super low temperature, high pressure environment, leads to inconclusive maths.//

You ought to see a doctor about that.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


But, if the funnel were that hydrophobic, they'd never get it into the water, much less sink it.
-- AbsintheWithoutLeave, May 09 2010


Gas hydrates are just a form of ice, and their formation leads to clogs in the funnel in much the same way that pipes get clogged in the winter. I heard of this type of solution for the 'at-home' version a few years ago so I halfbaked away, as per usual..
-- daseva, May 09 2010


//Gas hydrates are just a form of ice// Yes....ish. They contain hydrocarbons, though, which means they're not watery-ice completely. You may well find that a hydrophobic coating will promote, rather than inhibit, their accumulation.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


<bad faux-cockney singing voice>
Um tiddle iddle iddle
Um tiddl-eye
Um tiddle iddle iddle
Um tiddl-eye
Superhydrophobic coatings expedite stenosis...
<\bf-csv>
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


Damn. So you did. But mine scans better...
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


MB, the surface of the hydrate complex is all water molecules, so the hydrophobicity should apply. But yes, sometimes you can never tell about these things.
-- daseva, May 09 2010


Aha! In that case (a) you are probably right and (b) I have learned a new thing.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


I dun get it: the problem is ice ? (or methane calthrate or whatever) so what ? put a frickin' electric de-icer on the sides... or blow some air down there and burn enough of the oil to have it de-ice itself.

5,000 barrels a day is about 3 gallons per second... doesn't sound like *that* big a flow to be a problem for engineers.

[edit: hmmmmm... totally different idea posted]
-- FlyingToaster, May 10 2010



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