Wind Chill Factor - Everything Else - Corolland: the Toyota Corolla Forums

In the winter time when I go to work, I look at the flag poles and I park with the rear end of the car into the wind. I tell the guys that it's easier on the antifreeze as the windchill would make it freeze quicker.

A couple of the guys say I'm crazy as wind chill doesn't affect inanimat objects (or however you spell it). Others have taken to my theory and do the same as I do now.

Am I right or wrong??

It is correct that inanimate objects do not get "windchilled" - but that doens't mean that wind has zero effect on the inanimate object. The only effect "windchill" has on inanimate objects is to reduce the amount of time for those objects to cool. As wind blows over and around the car - it has a greater chance to dissipate the radiant heat off items like the block and radiator. Just think how the radiator works - as you things start to heat up, the fan kicks on to draw more air through the radiator. Same deal with heatsinks and decent airflow. Difference - the inanimate object's surface temperature will NOT cool below the ambient air temperature (this is where it differs from people and cars).

Wind chill factor is the effect that the wind has at removing warmth from a body. It is difficult to imagine, but they are correct. It does not affect thermometers because they do not produce heat.

So I need not bother with worrying about which way my car is facing?

The wind will not hurt the car - but it will cool it down faster. As for direction to face the wind (tail-end first or front-end first - makes no difference). If you take it out of the wind - then that is a different story, ie. storing the car in a unheated garage. Ambient temperature would be the same (if you parked two cars, one in the garage and one outside, after several hours, both cars whould be the same temperature - but it the short time scale, takes more time to cool the car down to ambient temperature if there is no wind.

You guys are amazing and making my mind boggle. Ok...so, what if it was zero degrees out and I had no antifreeze. The temperature was zero degrees, but with a blowing north wind of 50 mph blowing straight at the front of the car...that wouldn't make a difference.??

If inanimat objects don't feel temperature differences, then why do the space shuttles and that heat up when entering the atmosphere?

(I think I should have paid more attention in high school)

Bikeman982

Maybe it is a psychological thing?

If it makes you sleep easier thinking that the car is more than inanimate, park it out of the wind.

Don't forget to name it, feed it everyday and take it for a ride, so it doesn't get lonely!

You guys are amazing and making my mind boggle. Ok...so, what if it was zero degrees out and I had no antifreeze. The temperature was zero degrees, but with a blowing north wind of 50 mph blowing straight at the front of the car...that wouldn't make a difference.??If inanimat objects don't feel temperature differences, then why do the space shuttles and that heat up when entering the atmosphere?

(I think I should have paid more attention in high school)

The heat ablative tiles on the Space Shuttle heat up due to the physical property of friction. As the shuttle decelerates and it's orbit decays to the point where it begins to contact denser layers of air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, the friction of these air molecules against the molecules of the tiles generates heat -- the same way the palms of your hands warm up when you rub them together. Because of the high speeds involved, the effect of this friction is much greater -- the temperatures can reach over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, thus the need to protect the structure of the shuttle with the tiles which can withstand temperatures which are much higher.

BTW --wind chill does affect inanimate objects such as automobiles and other machinery. An automobile sitting in air which is 32 degrees F. with no detectable air movement will stabilize at 32 deg. F. But add some wind, and the temperatures will reduce, albeit in porportion to the density of the material which is being cooled, and the shielding effect of surrounding structures.. The engine, being surrounded by the car's external structure, would not be subjected to significant wind chill effects, and should remain close to the ambient temperature.

BTW --wind chill does affect inanimate objects such as automobiles and other machinery. An automobile sitting in air which is 32 degrees F. with no detectable air movement will stabilize at 32 deg. F. But add some wind, and the temperatures will reduce..

This is incorrect. The wind only affects bodies that produce heat...not an inanimate object. If it affected inanimate objects, then our outdoor thermometers would read incorrectly and they do not.

Here is more information on the subject:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/windchillglossary.shtml

Well that link certainly helped, thanks. Off the subject a bit, but with this cold weather (-20C) I certainly am going to add a more powerful battery before next winter as opposed to the stock skimpy one.