Heated exoskeleton?

Geo

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The rate of radiative heat loss or gain depends on . . . . .

But the rate of temperature change per unit of heat absorbed depends on the material. Mild steel and stainless steel have specific heats that are pretty close. 510.8 and 502.4 j/(kg-K) respectively (304 stainless) and thus both will absorb and retain heat for about the same time if the same thickness and painted the same color.
The rate of heat loss or gain depends on . . . Q = M x C x (Temp final - Temp Initial)

Can't compare exactly cos Tesla / Spacex haven't revealed details of their Stainless Steel recipe, but its reasonable to assume maybe 7% greater density for Stainless Steel than mild steel for a regular body panel.

As you mention, The specific heat j/kg/k is similar, but the mass is more than 5 times greater for Stainless Steel, just from the thickness, 0.6mm vs 3mm.

That is a significant difference in heat capacity / heat retention.

Temp change will be slower, but the retention of heat, and the opportunity for harm to the touch, and for a challenge to the HVAC will be far greater.
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ajdelange

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Clearly the impact of panel material on the heat pump will be minimal as there is significant thermal impedance between the skin and the interior and the load from that will be swamped by the load through the windshield and roof glass plus infiltration load.
 

DMC-81

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Clearly the impact of panel material on the heat pump will be minimal as there is significant thermal impedance between the skin and the interior and the load from that will be swamped by the load through the windshield and roof glass plus infiltration load.
I am hoping Tesla has a good solar heating and UV infiltration solution for all that glass. It looks totally awesome but without adequate mitigation in the bright southern sun, the glass would definitely contribute significantly to interior heating.

I had a C5 Corvette coupe with both tops, and in Florida, the tinted "glass" top would seem to burn a hole in the top of your head. I only used it briefly before switching to the solid top.

In my DeLorean, the black interior was sweltering in the summer and the already marginal AC system would struggle to cool it down. I tinted the windows with a version that included ceramic, even tinting the windshield with 80% (practically clear). That made a world of difference.

I suppose if the Tesla solution is not enough for where I live, I can always tint the glass on the CT with a thermal barrier.
 

Mini2nut

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I can already see people touching the exterior SS out of curiosity. I’m going to try this for trick cleaning my CT once I take delivery...

  • Juice from 4 lemons
  • 10 tbsp of hot water

  1. Mix together hot water and lemon juice in a small bowl
  2. Using a soft cloth, wipe down the stainless steel with lemon juice and water mixture going along with the grain of the metal
  3. Then wipe down again with a dry paper towel
  4. You're done!
use the leftover lemon along with some ice to freshen your garbage disposal or even remove stains from stainless steel in the sink.
 

FullyGrounded

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I think I'll just use a small hammer to bust the ice into shards and less. I can see the neighbors now, shocked seeing me beating my brand new Tesla truck, having no clue as to the damage resistance of the stainless. haha I'll have to park outside the garage just for that effect. peace
 


craz

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Phoenix, AZ had 144 days over 100F and 34 days over 110F this year. That thick stainless steel will get hot in March and finally cool down around December!
 
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Ginger

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Bare stainless gets very hot in the summer sun. I have "Do Not Touch" signs that I display on my DeLorean at car shows. Everyone wants to touch the bare surface, and my sign is not necessarily to ward off fingerprints, but to try and prevent someone burning their hand.
Living in the Palm Springs area, this is one of my most major concerns with the CT. My light colored Lexus CT gets so hot just from sitting in the sun while I go grocery shopping! What will this do? More importantly, will it make the truck harder to cool down?
 

Mini2nut

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I can't imagine how scorching hot the stainless steel exterior will get after sitting in the desert sun. 105 to 115 degrees is normal in the Palm Springs area during the summer months. Thankfully it will not have door handles to grab. I imagine the doors will pop open slightly when walking up the vehicle.
 

Ogre

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Teslas automatically maintain the cabin heat at or below 105 degrees (you can adjust this) so it doesn't get crazy bad inside. That said, if it is super warm, you'd want to cover the windows and take normal heat precautions as well to make it easier on the climate control.
 

TyPope

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I think that would be very useful in the winter. I love remote start on my F250 truck as I leave the blower on with heat on high so I can start it up as soon as I get up to plow. Now if we could just get confirmation that this “work truck” will be able to mount a snow plow!
I lived in Minot, North Dakota for four years. Parked my F350 outside. Never had to scrape windows. I bought a 200 Watt MyHeat heater (feels like someone exhaling, it's so low power). When I'd get home from work, I'd set it on my center console aimed sort of at the steering wheel but mostly towards the windshield. I'd just run the cord out the door and plug it into an extension cord that I ran from the garage (garage was too small for my truck). I mean, it's only 200 Watts. Everyone else would be out scraping off their windshields and windows but not me. I had remote start but the $20 heater kept it really nice inside. As an aside, if you are ordering an F-350, definitely get the supplemental cab heater. It's like a hair dryer element in the heater duct and provides heat immediately upon startup if it's cold enough outside.
 


Ogre

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I bought a 200 Watt MyHeat heater (feels like someone exhaling, it's so low power).

I use a ceramic bulb in a brooder lamp cage but it's the same effect!
If you had a plug in the frunk you could control remotely or put on a timer, you could just warm the frunk cover from underneath melting any snow on the hood. Show on the window would likely slough off as the hood snow melted away.
 

TyPope

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If you had a plug in the frunk you could control remotely or put on a timer, you could just warm the frunk cover from underneath melting any snow on the hood. Show on the window would likely slough off as the hood snow melted away.
The MyHeat heater is a very simple, elegant solution. I would just unplug as I walked up (always, always make sure the plug is not on the ground if you are somewhere where it gets really cold), sit down, grab the heater in my right hand and set it on the floor in the back. It isn't hot at all. Anyway, it was always nice to get that little bit of warmth in the cab. You can start your car, scrape the windows, get in, and your breath will be enough still to frost the inside of the windshield before the car can heat up the cab enough. Now, I never had that problem with my truck but the work trucks... yeah, they sucked.
 

Ogre

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The MyHeat heater is a very simple, elegant solution. I would just unplug as I walked up (always, always make sure the plug is not on the ground if you are somewhere where it gets really cold), sit down, grab the heater in my right hand and set it on the floor in the back. It isn't hot at all. Anyway, it was always nice to get that little bit of warmth in the cab. You can start your car, scrape the windows, get in, and your breath will be enough still to frost the inside of the windshield before the car can heat up the cab enough. Now, I never had that problem with my truck but the work trucks... yeah, they sucked.
Most of that stuff is already taken care of by the climate control on the Tesla. Warms the cabin up prior to entry which should melt any snow off the windows. It's just the hood and any snow on top of the vault which needs to be cleared.

And yes, people absolutely must to clean the snow off the vault/ roof of your car/ truck/ whatever. Massive chunks of snow flying off trucks is a major traffic hazard.
 
 




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