Re: [Phys-l] A golf dome (thermal) physics problem

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

My thought was more on insulation.  Another sl. smaller or larger  
dome inside or outside.  Between could be filled w/ very low mass  
insulation.  Then it might support snow (corrugated) as a final  
insulation.

I also suspect they don't fan it.  So at the top a bird caught in the  
dome will think it's summer while those below will be dressed for  
Everest.

Copying JD;  transparent daytime, opaque at night.  In the desert SW,  
some houses have sliding roof panels filled w/ water, and slid as  
appropriate to the weather and season.

bc puts on a sweater instead of turning up the thermostat and  
wonders, what is the dome's overpressure.

p.s. Not a unique problem:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/7861x07695429514/

Note;  the heating w/ reflectors.

Sales to military and medical:

http://www.jpwinc.com/index.php?page=photo&photo_category=Inflatable 
+tent

Inflateable support

http://www.jpwinc.com/inside16em.jpg


On 2008, Mar 15, , at 13:30, John Denker wrote:

> On 03/15/2008 11:04 AM, Steve Highland wrote:
> > Last night on our local news it was announced that our golf dome  
> > is coming
> > down soon because it just cost too much to heat the thing.  The  
> > dome is one
> > of those large inflated tent-like gizmos that is sorely needed  
> > needed if you
> > want to do any sort of golf practice in the winter in Duluth.   
> > (I¹m no
> > golfer ‹ I¹m a bowler and this thing is next door the the bowling  
> > alley, so
> > I couldn¹t help but notice it...)
> >
> > This sounds like a great opportunity for physics and engineering  
> > to come to
> > the rescue.  Does anyone know of neat tricks that would make the  
> > heat loss
> > more manageable?  Or is Duluth, MN just the wrong place for one of  
> > these
> > domes?
>
> That's an interesting problem.  As is characteristic of
> real-world problems, there are many many angles that need
> to be looked at.
>
> Here's how I would start the analysis:
>
> The dome serves three main purposes
>  a) Cuts down the wind.
>  b) Keeps the snow off the ground.
>  c) Retains heat over some timescale.
>
> If they just turn off the heaters, the dome will continue to
> serve purposes (a) and (b).
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