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From: wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.space,net.columbia
Subject: Shuttle Tiles Question
Message-ID: <721@pyuxa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Apr-84 08:58:13 EST
Article-I.D.: pyuxa.721
Posted: Fri Apr 27 08:58:13 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Apr-84 09:51:00 EST
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
Lines: 17

In the vein of 'spinoffs', I have a question concerning the heat tiles
used on the shuttles.  From what I understood and read (from the media,
so I don't trust the reports 100%), the tiles are designed to absorb
heat on reentry and dissipate the heat over a longer period of time.
I seem to recall a news report that featured a guy heating a tile
with a torch for about a minute, then picking up the tile with his
bare hands and not being burned.

Now, my question is, if the tiles do indeed have this property, would
it be possible to line a gas or oil=fired furnace with these tiles,
apply heat for a short period, then turn off the heat and allow the
stored heat to slowly dissipate, thus providing a heat source over a 
long period of time and saving fuel?  Could this be a possible use
in the area of conservation?  If engineered correctly, could a whole
new generation of devices be developed to take advantage of the heat
retention properties of the tiles?
T. C. Wheeler