Theory 13/Prandtl Number/Marine mammals
Blubber Is a Prandtl Problem
The claim
The insulating performance of blubber is set by the Prandtl number of the tissue, so the same thickness insulates differently depending on blood flow through it.
01Mechanism
Prandtl compares momentum and thermal diffusion; perfusion changes the effective conductivity and therefore the insulation per unit thickness.
02Prediction
Insulation should track Prandtl at equal thickness.
03Refutation
Insulation tracking thickness alone would remove perfusion.