Cooling by Beach Balls?

Most recent answer: 06/07/2008

Q:
Will you use less energy cooling the interior of a car if the car, aft of the front seats, is filled with beach balls? Would they act as insulators, or would the air inside the beach balls just represent air that would require cooling, as though it were not enclosed by the beach balls?
- Gerald J. Saunders (age 60)
Centerport, NY, USA
A:
I really don't think there would be much difference with or without beach balls.  As you point out the balls are filled with air too and need to be cooled.

LeeH

It would change how long it took to cool the car. The beachballs would reduce the amount of air needed for the initial cooling. The heat from them would gradually leak into the rest of the car, requiring about the same net cooling in the long run.

Mike W.

(published on 06/07/2008)

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