Wind chill factor vs air friction?

Question

Assume a relatively cold temperature (-30 degrees celsius). Could a strong enough wind make it warmer for you than no wind at all?

For example, in the case of stowaways riding a plane (there've been a few cases), I believe the speed-induced friction could be quite significant.

Answer 1

Okay, I need to take a step back on this question. I'm thinking about different things I've seen on TV that show the two extremes of this question. First, I'm picturing a guy walking through snowfall and high winds at -30 degrees C (22 below zero in F). He is so cold that he is dead. Second, I am picturing a space shuttle trying to land. They have heat shielding because the friction is so great; I imagine a man strapped to the front of the shuttle would also be dead, but from heat.

The question is, however, if there could be a wind so strong that it could make you warmer at -30 degrees C. Go to the "wind drag estimator" below, set your speed to 0 and the wind speed to the highest wind speed, 231 mph. I used a 180 lbs. person and got a resulting force of some 1400 Newtons. That's 314 pounds of force just from the air!

To contrast our man standing in the wind with the space shuttle, a shuttle returning from orbit goes 17580 mph, 76 times faster than the fastest wind record. During take off, it only goes 3000 mph, or 13 times maximum surface wind. At 3000 mph, there isn't enough friction to mandate heat shielding. Although space shuttles are more aerodynamic than people, I don't think they are significantly more aerodynamic to warrant belief that wind could heat you up.

However, if you were strapped to a plane... The fastest plane goes 2200 mph. This is slower than the shuttle's 3000 mph benchmark from before. Most commercial jet planes go under 600 mph.

Stowaways risks including falling out of the landing gear, the heat from the jet engines, hypothermia, a lack off oxygen, or even exposure.

Oh! I almost forgot, another reason that wind isn't likely to heat you is that wind also has friction with the ground. Wind just won't go certain speeds within a few hundred feet of the ground. AND at 30 below, most winds will warm you up because all the air around that air is (likely) warmer than that air. Blowing wind will bring in warmer air.

Answer 2

Wind chill is the apparent temperature felt on exposed skin due to the combination of air temperature and wind speed. Except at higher temperatures, where wind chill is considered less important, the wind chill temperature is always lower than the air temperature.

Air friction is the force that resists the motion of a body , it always acts opposite to the direction of the motion of the body ,

Also , it is true that a strong enough wind make it warmer for you than no wind at all at such a cold temp. ( -30 degree celsius )

Answer 3

"Wind kick back" is a mixture of conduction and convection. a individual sweats and the evaporation area substitute this is sped up by ability of the wind, motives an absorption of warmth power from the exterior tissue around the sweat. (conduction). for sure the ball won't sweat, and as a result this consequence could be factored out. however the wind additionally will develop compelled convection which will at present flow warmth far off from the ball. Assuming the ball is heat - warmer than the ambient temperature - The ball could be cooled by ability of convection in uncomplicated terms to the element the place the ball and the ambient temperature have become a similar fee. of path, technically it could in no way be cooled to this authentic element because of the fact the air temperature is a cut back and extra the negligible volume of air friction will preclude those 2 values from ever completely coinciding.

Answer 4

Yes it is, however at the supersonic flights. Unfortunately your stowaway will probably suffocate before getting all toasty.