Powerblanket™ Test Results
Early in 2005, David Naylor called requesting an opportunity to test a new type of concrete blanket in our freezer. Willing to help, I agreed to allow the experiment. David laid the blanket down on the concrete, explaining that his invention would melt the ice, even though the room temperature was 17 degrees Fahrenheit. We all waited to see the results of the experiment, hoping for success. The next morning, David returned to check the experiment, only to find the ice on the floor still frozen. Very disappointed, David was determined to return to the drawing board and find his incorrect calculations. As I discussed the results with David, I explained that a cold storage facility may not be an appropriate site for this type of experiment. The cold storage freezer has maintained a temperature of 17 degrees for a long period of time, freezing the concrete floor clear through. The heated blanket is fighting against the continuous cold rising from the frozen concrete, a condition which would not be present in actual conditions. Despite this explanation, David refused to give up, and was determined to design and build a concrete blanket that could perform in even the harshest conditions.
After some time re-engineering the blanket, David Naylor returned for a second round. He was still determined to succeed in developing a blanket that would evenly heat freshly poured concrete in almost any conditions. Somewhat skeptical, I once again allowed David to lay the blanket in the same frozen room in which the experiment had previously failed. David laid the blanket on some ice frozen to the concrete. Once again, we all anxiously waited to see the results, hoping for success. A few hours later, we were very excited to see that our experiment was successful! The blanket had heated evenly across the frozen floor, and the ice, which was up to two inches thick, was now only a puddle of water. The determination and effort finally paid off, and we declared victory.
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