Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!torsqnt!geac!contact!dmntor!bill
From: bill@dmntor.UUCP (Bill Kyle)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: OIL & TILES
Message-ID: <1991Mar21.221601.21156@dmntor.UUCP>
Date: 21 Mar 91 22:16:01 GMT
References: <1991Mar15.181742.20073@welch.jhu.edu>
Reply-To: bill@dmntor.UUCP (Bill Kyle)
Organization: Digital Media Networks, Toronto, Canada
Lines: 51

In article <1991Mar15.181742.20073@welch.jhu.edu> jimh@welch.jhu.edu (Jim Hoffman) writes:
>This is to the people who reponed to my idea about using shuttle tiles to aide
>fire fighting the oil well fires in the desert.  
>
>First, The construction.  I wouldn't think that the structure would need to be
>completely solid.  With as much smoke that they give off, one wouldn't need
>that trap every piece of smoke.  The oil flow after the fires out could flow
>freely.

NO NO NO.....with respect, ask yourself this. If you block heat what happens 
??? It builds up! Your dome idea is not close to being feasible because by 
building a dome you trap such heat that whatever structure/dome/giant lid
you use will get anihilated, as well as melting the very foundation or
sand that exists around the fire area. Add on to that the fact that as you
close the structure more and more forcefull winds are created as the fire 
sucks more air in less space. 
>
>Second, The tiles are included because at the time they were introduce, the
>space shuttle publicitity was high on them resisting heat.  They showed a 
>guy holding a tile after it was torched with a welding torch.  If anything,
>does anybody think they would make good fire wallls.  Its seems to protect
>the shuttle pilots when they reenter into a self generated wall of fire.

yes but the heat has somewhere to go, most of it is deflected off the 
craft, your dome doesnt do that.
>
>Third, I thank you for your responces.  I did know that bombs could be used!
>I question how safe they are to use!  What about chain reaction?  There are
>a lot of oil there just ready to blaze.  What about the damage to
>surranding
>areas?

No chain reaction! What's going to react? The only fear is that the super
heated metal well equipment re-ignites the fire, or that the explossion 
just fails to work.
>
>Forth, Now that we showed the world how powerful our technology has made us,
>Lets show off and show how our technology can help man instead of destroying 
>it!  We are raging a war on the environment and the party has just begun.
>The fires over there will affect the world as a whole and rally around and
>win this one!!!!!
>
>Jim   (jimh@welchlab.welch.jhu.edu)

Whatever.....its not like there is no incentive to put out the fire, afterall
oil is Kuwait's only source of income (other than what ever investments they 
have going). You just have to understand that it is a logistical nightmare
to put out so many well fires, with limited companys that have been doing 
this sort of thing for years. 

Bill