Nope,
Not at all.
Heat from the metal of the scrubber. Transfers 2 ways. One to the air and 2 to the scrubber material. Which one is a more efficient energy transfer? The one back to the Scrubber material is solid to solid. Much more energy efficient.
The Scrubbing process makes heat. Always, So storing heat to transfer back to the process when it needs it. Deep,Cold. Is a good thing. Shallow and warm is where you start and where you'll put the heat into the metal of the scrubber. Not all dives are this way. But, you'll be storing the heat in the metal at the begining of the dive no matter what. Not pulling away at the end of the dive.
HYRAX,
If you read all my posts. You know I'm talking about the PRISM. NOT the Meg. The Ready's stated the reason for plastics in the scrubber itself was for themal. I didn't state that. I'm trying to figure out how that Plastic is a Good or More effiecient reason. From all aspects. It isn't.
Yep, the radiator is a Ridiculous comparison. And they know it. The Metal plated scrubber isn't built anything like a radiator. That's my reason. It's a Plate, Not a finned, tubed heat exchanger.
Sorry Andy, but you are completely not getting the point.
You aren't going to loose a lot of heat to the air from the metal scrubber plate. I'm still talking about the Prism. The Plastic bucket doesn't transfer much heat or absorb it quickly from the air. So, the metal scrubber plate will store heat. Just like the plastic of the scrubber. There is just more Thermal mass for the metal and it can store more heat.
Why is it. I've been talking about the prism. And you all keep going back to the Meg design?
I use Prism words and Prism divers get confused.
REMEMBER, I'M TALKING ABOUT A PRISM.
Quote: (Originally Posted by
silent running)
mverick, now maybe it's me who's not being understood. You seem to be taking for granted that the metal of the Meg scrubber is ONLY transfering heat back-holding it in-to the sorb. Even Paul agrees that the energy/heat holding properties of metal are not a one way proposition. Remember, the differential in cold water btw the scrubber material and the outside water temp is significant-40F+degrees. And far more importantly, it's gas to metal to gas to seawater, which is far more dense than any gas and has a far greater capacity to absorb energy/heat.
You're right, the radiator comparison is not a great one, but not for the rerason you think-it's backward. With the metal scrubber to seawater chain you are not trying to disapate heat, you're trying to keep it in. And you're trying to keep it in a much less dense medium-gas-than the nearby colder medium which is much more dense-seawater. The medium which has the greater density/capacity to absorb the heat/energy will always win, so the best you can do is to slow it down as much as you can. 75F air feels warm to most people. 75F seawater does not. An OC diver without exposure protection will be very cold after 15 minutes, as they breathe and radiate away their body heat into the cool, dense seawater. Even with a good wet suit, most won't last 2 hours without losing a lot of heat and discomfort, our scrubbbers need to work efficiently for a lot longer than that.
Keeping things warm can only be done by insulating and slowing down the transfer of heat, not by absorbing heat. Metal is clearly not an insulator... -Andy