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Experiments
With Small Animals Rarely Go This Well…
Consumer/Home/Recreation
Originating Technology/ NASA Contribution
In the mid-1950s, a young U.S. Air Force engineer named
Clark Beck began work with what is now one of NASA’s
most prolific spinoffs, the radiant barrier technology.
Beck’s work involved creating materials that could
withstand the immense heat created by passage through
the Earth’s atmosphere. He was working on structures
and resources that could withstand the fluctuations
in temperature created by a skip reentry, where a craft
would “skip” along the surface of the atmosphere, gradually
making inroads sufficient for reentry, a process that
took the craft from extreme heat to frigid cold every
few seconds. The material also needed to withstand
millions of pounds of pressure per inch of bending
without twisting, the simulated force of reentry. Without
reflective material, the craft would get what Beck
refers to as “red hot wings,” and without the required
flexibility, the craft would break apart.
One result of Beck’s work was the discovery of the
useful properties of radiant barrier material. The
Space Agency used Beck’s design work for the materials
that went into building the space capsules, heat resistant
instrument panels, and, in conjunction with the Air
Force, an early spacecraft prototype, the DynaSoar,
that looks remarkably similar to the present-day Space
Shuttle.
NASA used the thin, shiny, silver material to protect
the first space explorers from the harsh environment
of space, which could range from -460 °F to 541 °F.
If the engineers had used conventional insulation for
the space suits, the fabric would have been 7-feet
thick, a little awkward for even the most nimble of
astronauts to maneuver. Radiant barrier technology
was clearly the solution. It reflected the astronaut’s
body heat back into the suit to keep him warm, while
at the same time reflecting radiant energy from the
Sun outward to keep him cool.
The radiant barrier material reflected more than
95 percent of the radiant energy away from the wearer,
while tiny holes in the fabric allowed moisture to
escape and longer heat waves to get through. This amazing
fabric had an added benefit that made it ideal for
its space-bound application: It weighed only 17 pounds
per 1,000 square feet.
NASA has used this material ever since the Gemini and
Apollo missions, on virtually all of its spacecraft,
and even on unmanned missions as thermal protection
for instruments..
Partnership
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| The Hutch Snuggle keeps
the pet’s hutch cool in the summer and warm in
the winter. |
NASA’s radiant barrier technology has been public domain
for the past 3 decades. It is used in “space blankets”
and countless other applications, including energy-saving
home insulation, awnings and canopies, agricultural
insulation, automotive insulation, and protective apparel,
the likes of which is used by firemen. These are only
a few of the many applications found for this material.
Scratch
and Newton, Ltd., a company with worldwide Internet
sales, employs this technology to improve the lives
of pet rabbits and guinea pigs. Experiments involving
small, cute, furry animals almost always end badly
for the critters. In this instance, though, science
and cute animals can coexist.
Product Outcome
Scratch and Newton has a clever premise: Scratch, a
fumbling rabbit, has a slew of problems, and Newton,
a genius guinea pig, tinkers at his workbench to solve
them. The “solutions” are the company’s products. They
include hutch covers, run covers, and bottle wrappings.
The ideas and products actually come from company founders
Chrissie Slater and Lydia Ross, two Britons who had
been experimenting with bubble wrap, thick unplasticised
polyvinyl chloride, and other materials that were hard
to work with and had significant problems, like breathability
and condensation. After extensive experimenting, they
decided that, as Slater says, “The radiant barrier
is just ace!”
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| Frankie and Munroe
are fur-ever pleased to have their fresh water
protected by the Bottle Snug. |
The Hutch Snuggle protects the outdoor pet rabbit or
guinea pig from the elements. Made of the radiant barrier
material, it helps reduce summer heat gain and winter
heat loss, making the animal’s environment more comfortable.
The rabbit or guinea pig gets a comfortable shelter
from the harsh elements in the winter and a cool patio
in the summer. The Hutch Snuggle even features a clear
window for the pet to look out and the keeper to look
in. Used in conjunction with the Hutch Hugger, a hutch
cover made of weather-resistant fabric, the pet is
guaranteed to be safe from wind and rain. All of these
items come in different sizes, so they should fit just
about any hutch. Custom-made hutch covers, however,
are also available.
These little pets cannot spend all of their time locked
in hutches, though. They need to stretch and exercise.
For this purpose, Scratch and Newton also makes the
Run Hugger, a radiant barrier cover for the animal’s
play pen. This way, even when the weather gets especially
rough, the animal can still have some much-needed daily
play time.
The Bottle Snug, another product developed by Scratch
and Newton for the small critters, is designed to keep
a pet’s water supply fresh and drinkable. The radiant
barrier bottle cover prevents water from freezing during
winter months and keeps water cool and fresh during
the hotter seasons. This also cuts down on the green
algae that can sometimes grow in water bottles in warmer
weather.
Scratch and Newton has sold its products around the
world, though it plans to target Canada, home to many
chilly bunnies, and New Zealand, land of the overheated
pet guinea pigs. It plans to proceed with its line
of thermal critter-care products and look to NASA technology
to find other innovations that may be of use.
Clark Beck, the engineer who pioneered the radiant
barrier technology, is now retired, though still active
in his local Dayton, Ohio, engineers club, and not
surprised by the widespread use of the radiant barrier
technology. He has seen it used in myriad ways. “Its
uses are only limited to one’s imagination,” he says.
“It can be used wherever you find heat or cold.”
Hutch Snuggle™, Hugger™, Run Hugger™, and Bottle
Snug™ are trademarks of Scratch and Newton, Ltd.
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