APPENDIX B

CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION

FACTORS OFTEN USED
IN COMBUSTION

Universal Gas Constant

kJ ft-lbf Btu
Ru = 8.3144 = 1,545.4 = 1.9872
kmole · K lbm -mole · R lbm -mole · R
cal atm · liter erg
= 1.9872 = 0.08206 = 8.3144 × 107
g-mole · K g-mole · K g-mole · K
bar · cm3 atm · cm3 g · cm
= 83.144 = 82.057 = 84,786.85 f
mole · K g-mole · K g-mole · K
atm · ft3 psia · ft3 J
= 0.729 = 10.716 = 8.3144
lbm -mole · R lbm -mole · R g-mole · K

Dimensional Conversion Factor of Gravity

lbm · ft g · cm kg · m
gc = 32.174 =1 =1 m 2
lbf · s 2 dyne · s 2 N·s
slug · ft g · cm kg · m
=1 = 980.665 = 9.80665 m 2
lbf · s2 gf · s2 kgf · s

Gravitational Acceleration
g = 9.80665 m/s2 = 32.17405 ft/s2

534 Applications of Turbulent and Multiphase Combustion Kenneth K. Kuo and Ragini Acharya
Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
 CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS OFTEN USED IN COMBUSTION 535

Avagadro’s Number
molecules
NA = Ñ = 6.02252 × 1023
g-mole

Planck’s Constant
J·s
h = 6.625 × 10−34
molecule
Stefan-Boltzmann Constant
W erg
σ = 5.6699 × 10−8 = 5.6699 × 10−5 2
m2 ·K 4
cm · s · K4
Btu cal
= 0.1714 × 10−8 2 = 1.35514 × 10−12 2
ft · hr · R 4 cm · s · K4

Boltzmann’s Constant
J
K = 1.38 × 10−23
K · molecule
Atomic Mass Unit
ma = 1.660540 × 10−27 kg

Proton Mass
mp = 1.672623 × 10−27 kg

Electron Mass
me = 9.109389 × 10−31 kg

Electron Charge
e = 1.602177 × 10−19 Coulombs

Speed of Light
c = 2.997925 × 108 m/s

Work/Energy Conversion Factor

ft-lbf g · cm
J = 778 = 42,664.9 f
Btu cal
Mass Units
1 kg = 2.2046226 lbm
1 Ton (short) = 2000 lbm = 907.185 kg,
1 Ton (long) = 2240 lbm = 1.016 Metric Ton
1 Ton (Metric) = 1000 kg = 2204.62 lbm
536 CONSTANTS AND CONVERSION FACTORS OFTEN USED IN COMBUSTION

Energy Units
1 cal = 4.18400 J = 4.184 × 107 erg = 0.003968 Btu
1 J = 1 N · m = 1 W · s = 107 erg = 0.737562 lbf -ft
1 Btu = 1054.4355 J

Pressure Units
1 Pascal (Pa) = 1 N/m2 = 1.4504 × 10−4 psi = 9.8692 × 10−6 atm
= 1.0197 × 10−5 kgf /cm2
1 atm = 1.01325 × 105 N/m2 = 176 mm Hg = 760 torr
1 bar = 105 N/m2 = 0.1 MPa
1 psi = 0.0689476 bars = 0.00689476 MPa

Temperature Units
T(K) = T(R)/1.8
T(F) = T(R) − 459.67
◦ ◦
T( C) = [T( F) − 32]/1.8 = T(K) − 273.15

For temperature difference, T, 1 K = 1 ◦ C = 1.8 R = 1.8 ◦ F

Force Units
1 N = 1 kgm · m/s2 = 100000 dynes = 0.2248089 lbf = 0.10197162 kgf

Length Units

1 m = 39.370079 inches (in.) = 3.2808399 ft = 1.0936133 yard

1 m = 100 cm = 1 × 106 µm = 1 × 1010 Angstrom
1 ft = 30.48 cm

Velocity Units
1 m/s = 3.6 km/hr = 3.28084 ft/s = 2.23694 miles/hr

Specific Volume Units

1 m3 /kg = 16.01846 ft3 /lbm
1 cm3 /g = 1 L/kg
 PREFIXES 537

Density Units
1 kg/m3 = 0.06242797 lbm /ft3

Thermal Conductivity Units

1 W/m-K = 1 J/s-m-K = 0.577789 Btu/hr-ft-R

Heat Flux Units

1 W/m2 = 0.316998 Btu/hr-ft2

Heat Capacity or Specific Entropy Units

1 kJ/kg-K = 0.238846 Btu/lbm-R

Heat Transfer Coefficient Units

1 W/m2 -K = 0.17611 Btu/hr-ft2 -R

Viscosity Units
1 centipoise = 0.001 Ns/m2

B.1 PREFIXES

10−18 exa E
1015 peta P
1012 tera T
109 giga G
106 mega M
103 kilo k
102 hecto h
101 deka da
10−1 deci d
10−2 centi c
10−3 milli m
10−6 micro µ
10−9 nano n
10−12 pico p
10−15 femto f
10−18 atto a