Animals in winter often have two layers of insulation: a layer of body fat (of t

Question

Animals in winter often have two layers of insulation: a layer of body fat (of thermal conductiviy 0.2 W/mC) surrounded by a layer of air trapped inside fur or down. We can model a black bear (Ursus americanus) as a sphere 1.5 M in diameter having a layer of fat 4cm thick. In studies of bear hibernation, it was found that th eouter surface layer of the fur is at 2.5C during hibernation, while the inner surface of the fat layer is at 31C. If the bear loses heat at a rate of 50W (a) what is the temperature at the fat-inner fur boundary> (b) How thick should the air layer (contained within a fur) be?

Explanation / Answer

Calculate the surface area of the fat-fur boundry, then the surface area of the outer fur boundry. Outer layer 51.5watts=(31-Tinner)areainner/.0391 solve for Tinner. Then, on the fur layer.

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