Originally Posted by
agostinone
Nerd Alert!
Since we will all benefit from radiation (not radioactivity--infrared radiation) cooling our descender we will get the best results when the descenders are black in color (for example, look at the heat sink on the processor in most PC's) . It also works in our favor that the temperature for the math Tom shows is degrees Kelvin (zero degrees F= 255 degrees Kelvin). Another consideration is size. A descender with larger surface area will run cooler.
There is also the question of "if is it better to go fast or slow"? Faster builds up more heat but the contact time is less, slower creates less heat but the contact time is longer. So what's the answer--it depends. It's kind of like when I'm out for a run and need to drop a load. Should I run faster to get to the bathroom (that makes the urge worse) or run slower (I'll have to hold it longer). It all depends--do I feel like running with just one sock on or not?
I'm going to borrow the infrared camera from work and make some measurements next time I'm out practicing. I'm just curious how hot things do get.