Leonard O Courtney

US Patent:

54509068, Sep 19, 1995

Filed:

Apr 4, 1994

Appl. No.:

8/222265

Inventors:

Leonard O. Courtney - Ottumwa IA

Assignee:

Courtney's Fire Crushers, Inc. - Ottumwa IA

International Classification:

A62C 306

US Classification:

169 46

Abstract:

Fires in oil wells are contained by placing a pipe ring containing selectively located and aimed spray nozzles around a burning oil well by a self-propelled vehicle that includes a controllable boom for raising and lowering the pipe ring and a pump to supply liquid carbon dioxide to the spray nozzles to form a substantially cylindrical or conical volume of liquid carbon dioxide around the oil well. The spray excludes oxygen from the region inside the cylindrical volume and the fire is extinguished by lack of oxygen as it is cooled. Some of the spray may be directed away from the pipe ring to cool heated objects near the fire. In one embodiment of the invention, a ring containing spray nozzles is moved by a walking boom to surround and put out a fire in a well in which the flow rate is relatively high. In another embodiment a fire in a well in which the flow rate is less may be put out by a containment cap containing spray nozzles that is placed over the fire by a boom attached to a vehicle such as an articulated loader to spray the fire.

US Patent:

52996468, Apr 5, 1994

Filed:

Jun 22, 1993

Appl. No.:

8/072870

Inventors:

Leonard O. Courtney - Ottumwa IA

Assignee:

Courtney's Fire Crusher, Inc. - Ottumwa IA

International Classification:

A62C 306

US Classification:

169 52

Abstract:

Fires in oil wells are contained by placing a pipe ring containing selectively located and aimed spray nozzles around a burning oil well by a self-propelled vehicle that includes a controllable boom for raising and lowering the pipe ring and a pump to supply liquid carbon dioxide to the spray nozzles to form a substantially cylindrical or conical volume of liquid carbon dioxide around the oil well. The spray excludes oxygen from the region inside the cylindrical volume and the fire is extinguished by lack of oxygen as it is cooled. Some of the spray may be directed away from the pipe ring to cool heated objects near the fire. In one embodiment of the invention, a ring containing spray nozzles is moved by a walking boom to surround and put out a fire in a well in which the flow rate is relatively high. In another embodiment a fire in a well in which the flow rate is less may be put out by a containment cap containing spray nozzles that is placed over the fire by a boom attached to a vehicle such as an articulated loader to spray the fire.

Author:

Leonard Courtney

ISBN #:

0872078957