Posted on 10/12/2010 3:22:27 PM PDT by Bad~Rodeo
Trapped Chilean Miners Rescue Beginning. Live Coverage
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
His idea was to do sections at a time and screw the next section to the last together as you go.
I asked the same question about the line up issue. I think it has to do with the fact the shaft is not straight and takes a curve about half way down. So they are compensating for that lower curve half way down at the top of the shaft by having the cable at an angle.
After the test runs, they beefed up the upper section, probably making the shackle more difficult to attach, plus its designed to separate if top part gets stuck and the cage will decend back to mine.
I heard that the pressure differential is not radical enough to worry about the bends. I did hear they were giving them compression socks and some kind of a compression girdle.
Thank you, sir.
The hole is only about 25” in diameter plus it’s not straight down. Not much room even for the capsule
It would be less extreme than taking off in a 737...
I’m starting to wonder if they are having real trouble bringing this capsule back up. There have been significant periods where that wheel has not turned at all. You would think that it would be continuously moving if there where no problems.
Gotcha. That’s not even enough room to bend your leg to take a step.
Got you I think. So the capsule is bulit in two sections and the cage part actually has the cable connection and the top part is just there to deflect any falling rocks. If a rock gets the top part stuck the rider can release the cage and the cable can then let the cage return to the mine.
Did they load in the sandbags?
They had some trouble on the first trial run. They’re on the way down on a second run with no one in it.
Not to mention the possibility of a cave in. Plus those too weak to climb.
“Did they load in the sandbags?”
I did not see them do that. I think they are still descending, based on the way that wagon wheel is turning, the empty capsule.
Coming in late here... I read somewhere that it takes 40 mins to get the cage to the bottom and 20 mins to bring it up. Does that sound right? It’s going to take a long time to get everyone up if that is correct. Praying this works. Riding up in that contraption would give me heart failure (highly claustrophobic).
Yep! This is earthquake country.
Anybody try to get an estimate on the timing? My first guess would be about 5 meters per rotation of the wheel, ten seconds per rotation, 140 rotations, 25 minutes or so each way.
They did stop letting out cable for a while. Now they are lowering it again.
I noticed the cable from the winch to the wheel seems to be bouncing as they let it out.
While you were posting that, I was posting a guesstimate based on what I’m seeing, and I had about 50 minutes round trip per dude, so 20/25 minutes. I think I’d need tranqs for the ride.
I’m going to guess that the way they have the “state run camera” set up, well be able to see them pull the capsule out of the hole, but then they’ll set it down behind the big Chilean flag. I would then guess the reason they would do this is in case the miner is freaking out, well... that’s just not something they would want to show on TV.
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