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In the winter time, in cold climates, kids build snowmen. It's great fun, but after a couple of sunny days, the snowman starts to melt. (Remember the "Frosty the Snowman" movie?)
This invention is a long pole that kids can build their snowman around. The pole emits a ‘superfreeze’ temperature that
keeps the snow around the pole frozen. The pole receives its energy from an outdoor electrical outlet.
Kids now don't have to watch their hard work and creativity melt away.
SEE LINKS FOR ILLUSTRATION.
indominable snowman
indominable_20snowman
I put this under Culture, art, sculpture, ice... you can join me, unless you think your idea is a bit similar [xenzag, Jan 14 2007]
Flynn's Illustration
http://bakerflynn.web1000.com/
The Snowman Saver [flynn, Jan 15 2007]
Thermoelectric cooling
http://en.wikipedia...rmoelectric_cooling
How to Keep Snowy Friend Cool [flynn, Jan 15 2007]
[link]
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You could have probably also categorized it under "Product:Snow" or "Product:Snow:Shape", just as a suggestion. That's where I would have looked for an electrical product intended to maintain a snowman's shape. |
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[xenzag] I put this one under Product:Snow:Shape as jurist suggested. My idea is for a electric pole that a household could afford. Yours is for a huge town monument. I think our ideas are different enough to co-exist. |
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Um... and, how do you propose for frosty's little enema to "emit" this "superfreeze" temperature?? |
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It's not that it's technically unfeasible, but I object to the term. You'd be better off starting with a "frosty frame", a bit similar to yours but with more surface area; which is made of a refrigerant evaporator. Also with the other half of the refrigerator loop somewhere in the background, getting rid of the whole "superfreeze emittor" thing, which is perilously close to being bad science.. |
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[Custardguts] I knew this type of cooling was possible, but you're right, I hadn't commited to a particular cooling technology. |
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How do you feel about thermoelectric cooling? The description states it is efficient method for smaller, portable devices, and so it may fit the bill? See links. |
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However you freeze the snowman, it will inevitably mutate, as surface snow evaporates and water vapor in the atmosphere condenses. Short of casting the thing in fiber glass or polymer, I don't think there is any real way to save a snowman. |
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(Having tried to save snowballs, I have some experience in this area.) |
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Maybe it would have to coated with some kind of spray to prevent the outer layer from mutating... perhaps some kind of thin membrane. |
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Aha, currydoctor, but herin lies the genius. if said frosty enema (henceforth known as the frostyspine) were shaped so as that to make the smowman, you simply moulded snow around the frame, and that the thickness of the snow was kept constant (in other words, the frame would be like a smaller snowman), would the constant thickness, and carefully callibrated constant surface cooling of the frostyspine, allow you to perpetuate frosty's existence? |
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Lastly, Flynn, anyone who describes thermoelectric cooling as efficient is not talking about thermal efficiency. They are talking about cost efficient (for small devices, whereby the complexity of a compressor-evaporator-codensor system would be expensive), or space-efficient. Frosty is neither small, nor does he only need a slight cooling effect. Frosty needs your elegantly stated "superfreze temperatures". The cooling power required to sustain frosty in above-zero conditions would undoubtedly have to come from a refrigerative cooling system. You could probably fit the componentry in a box of similar size to a microwave, with an insulated pipe leading to and from frosty's arse. |
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[Custardguts] Good design suggestions. Thank you. |
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