Appendix A

Conversion Factors
Table A.1

Conversion factors for commonly used quantities

Quantity

SI to English

English to SI

Area

1 m2 = 10.764 ft2
= 1550.0 in2

1 ft2 = 0.00929 m2
1 in2 = 6.452 104 m2

Density

1 kg/m3 = 0.06243 lbm/ft3

1 lbm /ft3 = 16.018 kg/m3

1 slug/ft3 = 515.379 kg/m3

Energy

1 J = 9.4787 104 Btu

1 Btu = 1055.056 J
1 cal = 4.1868 J
1 lbf ft = 1.3558 J
1 hph = 2.685 106 J

Energy per unit mass

1 J/kg = 4.2995 104 Btu/lbm

1 Btu/lbm = 2326 J/kg

Force

1 N = 0.22481 lbf

1 lbf = 4.448 N
1 pdl = 0.1382 N

Gravitation

g = 9.80665 m/s2

g = 32.17405 ft/s2

Heat flux

1 W/m2 = 0.3171 Btu/hft2

1 Btu/hft2 = 3.1525 W/m2

1 kcal/hm2 = 1.163 W/m2
1 cal/scm2 = 41870.0 W/m2

Heat generation (volum.)

1 W/m3 = 0.09665 Btu/hft3

1 Btu/hft3 = 10.343 W/m3

Heat transfer coefficient

1 W/m2 K = 0.1761 Btu/ft2 F

1 Btu/hft2 F = 5.678 W/m2 K

1 kcal/hm2 C = 1.163 W/m2 K
1 cal/sm2 C = 41870.0 W/m2 K

Heat transfer rate

1 W = 3.4123 Btu/h

1 Btu/h = 0.2931 W

Length

1 m = 3.2808 ft
= 39.370 in
1 km = 0.621371 mi

1 ft = 0.3048 m
1 in = 2.54 cm = 0.0254 m
1 mi = 1.609344 km
1 yd = 0.9144 m

Mass

1 kg = 2.2046 lbm
1 ton (metric) = 1000 kg
1 grain = 6.47989 105 kg

1 lbm = 0.4536 kg
1slug = 14.594 kg
(continued overleaf )

Thermal Energy Storage: Systems and Applications, Second Edition

2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN: 978-0-470-74706-3

Ibrahim Dincer and Marc A. Rosen

586
Table A.1

Appendix A: Conversion Factors

(continued)

Quantity

SI to English

English to SI

Mass flow rate

1 kg/s = 7936.6 lbm /h

= 2.2046 lbm /s

1 lbm/h = 0.000126 kg/s

1 lbm/s = 0.4536 kg/s

Power

1 W = 1 J/s = 3.4123 Btu/h

= 0.737562 Ibf ft/s
1 hp (metric) = 0.735499 kW
1 ton of refrig. = 3.51685 kW

1 Btu/h = 0.2931 W
1 Btu/s = 1055.1 W
1 lbf ft/s = 1.3558 W
1 hpUK = 745.7 W

Pressure and stress

(Pa = N/m2 )

1 Pa = 0.020886 lbf/ft2
= 1.4504 104 lbf/in2
= 4.015 103 in water
= 2.953 104 in Hg

1 lbf /ft2 = 47.88 Pa

1 lbf /in2 = 1 psi = 6894.8 Pa
1 stand. atm. = 1.0133 105 Pa
1 bar = 1 105 Pa

Specific heat

1 J/kgK = 2.3886 104 Btu/lbm F

1 Btu/lbm F = 4187 J/kgK

1 lbf/ft = 14.594 N/m

Surface tension

1 N/m = 0.06852 lbf /ft

1 dyn/cm = 1 103 N/m

T( R) = 1.8 T(K)

Temperature

T(K) = T( C) + 273.15
= T( R)/1.8
= [T( F) + 459.67]/1.8
T( C) = [T( F) 32]/1.8

= T( F) + 459.67
= 1.8 T( C) + 32
= 1.8[T(K) 273.15] + 32
1 R = 1 F = 1 K/1.8 = 1 C/1.8

Temperature difference

1 K = 1 C = 1.8 R = 1.8 F

1 Btu/hft F = 1.731 W/mK

Thermal conductivity

1 W/mK = 0.57782 Btu/hft F

1 kcal/hm C = 1.163 W/mK

1 cal/scm C = 418.7 W/mK

Thermal diffusivity

1 m2 /s = 10.7639 ft2 /s

1 ft2 /s = 0.0929 m2 /s
1 ft2 /h = 2.581 105 m2 /s

Thermal resistance

1 K/W = 0.52750 Fh/Btu

1 Fh/Btu = 1.8958 K/W

Velocity

1 m/s = 3.2808 ft/s

1 km/s = 0.62137 mi/h

1 ft/s = 0.3048 m/s

1 ft/min = 5.08 103 m/s

Viscosity (dynamic)
(kg/ms = Ns/m2 )

1 kg/ms = 0.672 lbm /fts

= 2419.1 lbm /fhh

1 lbm /fts = 1.4881 kg/ms

1 lbm /fth = 4.133 104 kg/ms
1 centipoise(cP) = 102 poise
= 1 103 kg/ms

Viscosity (kinematic)

1 m2 /s = 10.7639 ft2 /s
= 1 104 stokes

1 ft2 /s = 0.0929 m2 /s
1 ft2 /h = 2.581 105 m2 /s
1 stoke = 1 cm2 /s

Volume

1 m3 = 35.3134 ft3
1 L = 1 dm3 = 0.001 m3

1 ft3 = 0.02832 m3
1 in3 = 1.6387 105 m3
1 galUS = 0.003785 m3
1 galUK = 0.004546 m3

Volumetric flow rate

1 m3 /s = 35.3134 ft3 /s
= 1.2713 105 ft3 /h

1 ft3 /s = 2.8317 102 m3 /s

1 ft3 /min = 4.72 104 m3 /s
1 ft3 /h = 7.8658 106 m3 /s
1 galUS /min = 6.309 105 m3 /s