Did you read the rest of the article Mr Semple wrote? He does a pretty good job on a blow-by-blow analysis.
the physics behind a pressurized pipe blowing out and self crimping.
Can you explain or describe what you are asking? Where did the crimp occur, etc?
First, you have to understand what they mean by blowing out.
I will tell you, even BP is not sure where all the leaks are coming from.
The term ‘blowing out’ does not mean that the pressure ruptured the outer casing that is below the ocean floor. It might be leaking from between the inner and outer casing.
The author of the article explains that the high pressure gas went up the riser tube and into the pump room on the drilling rig. That is where the explosion likely occurred, and the fires.
So, after two days, the rig sinks, dragging the riser pipe with it. Since the riser pipe is solid, the rig could not sink straight down, but went off at an angle. Which is a good thing because if the DRILLING RIG had landed on top of the BOP assembly, the situation would be horrifically worse.
Take a straw and hold it by the bottom end, about one inch up. Now, take your other hand and put it on top of the straw and start to push down. What happens?
Notice how the straw bends just above your bottom hand and crimps over? Keep bending the straw until it is completely bent over (similar to the way the riser tube is bent over and laying on the ocean floor at this moment).
You may see the straw crack just where the crimp is. That is where the leak above the BOP (just below where they cut the riser tube off and put the cap on) came from. It wasn’t from the pressure blowing a hole in the pipe.
Does that help?
lol...I was thinking the same thing.