Power / Duty Unit Converter
Convert engineering quantities quickly and consistently.
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Manual Conversion Shortcut
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Equivalent Units
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Standard Reference Tables
SI System
| SI Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 Watt (W) | 1 Joule/sec = 1 kg·m² / s³ |
| 1 Kilowatt (kW) | 1,000 W |
FPS System
| FPS Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 hp (Mechanical) | 550 ft·lbf / sec = 745.7 W |
| 1 Btu/hr | 0.29307 W |
CGS System
| CGS Unit | Equivalent |
|---|---|
| 1 Erg/sec | 10⁻⁷ Watts |
Power
What is Power (Heat Duty)?
Power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or generated over time. In chemical process design, power is most commonly referred to as "Heat Duty" when discussing thermal equipment, or "Shaft Power" when discussing rotating equipment.
Engineers convert power and heat duty units to specify:
- Rotating Equipment: Calculating the brake horsepower (BHP) required for pumps and compressors.
- Heat Exchangers: Defining the overall required cooling or heating duty (e.g., MMBtu/hr or MW).
- Electrical Loads: Sizing motors and substations for chemical plants.
Common industrial power conversions include Kilowatts (kW), Mechanical Horsepower (hp), and Btu per hour (Btu/hr).