How a BOP could be designed to work all by itself.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

A good old friend of mine who served on the U.S.S. Enterprise once explained to me that fighter aircraft at one time had an air driven hydraulic pump that could be engaged by the draft of the plane and produce I think it was 3000 psi to deploy landing gear and run the flight controls.


Transfer this idea to a BOP. You put a turbine somewhere in the loop that will be driven by oil and or gas pressure. Once oil or gas pressure starts to flow the turbine gets driven, pump starts pumping and the well shuts itself off. When you are sure you can handle the goods you have to physically OPEN the valve to release your goods. I know this sounds incredibly complicated but take a good long look at a BOP and you will see something you wouldn't believe.

[HughMoran]

1. Good idea! In fact, the acoustic BOP valve allows remote activation:

Acoustic backup BOP control system

What is an acoustic backup BOP control system

The acoustic backup BOP control system is a fully independent backup system that will work even if there is no physical contact between the BOP and the platform.
How it works

The activation signals will be sent acoustically from a transducer on the platform or a boat, through the water and to a receiver on the BOP stack. The hydraulic power to actuate the BOP is provided by separate subsea accumulators. Current systems can be applied down to about 3000m water depth.
When to use

Scenarios where the acoustic backup system can be applied are:

Hydraulic leakage downstream the pods

It has been claimed that a single hydraulic failure downstream the pods may prevent actuation of any BOP valve. A fully independent backup system could be the acoustic controlled system.
Riser disconnect

The acoustic backup system can be used to close the BOP in case the riser is disconnected from the BOP by an accident.
Platform explosion

A gas explosion on the rig may knock down all BOP control panels or kill all control panel operators. The acoustic backup control system can be activated from a nearby boat.

Users

The system is mandatory in Norway and preferred in deepwater drilling in Brazil

BUT NOT THE US!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

2. Maybe this works and works well, but I am one for one upping the

idiot proof technologies we now have. I am saying produce a self powering valve that requires no hydraulics from above, no electricity from above that automatically shuts off the well the minute it starts producing. I can't imagine the big bad petroleum engineers not being able to come up with a working unit. If I had to I could make a simple mockup of this idea that works.

[rucky]

3. cool. rec'd.