Chapter 1

Conversion of Units

Table 1.1 Basic units

Time Length Mass Force Temperature
SI s m kg K, 0C
CGS s cm g K, 0C
0
US Engineering s ft lbm lbf R, 0F

Table 1.2 Derived units

SI US Engineering
2
Force N (1 N = 1 kg m/s )
Energy J (1 J = 1 kg m2/s2 ) Btu
Power W (1 W = 1 J/s) HP, PS
Area m2 ft2
Volume m3 (1m3 = 1000 l) ft3
Density kg/m3 lbm/ft3
Velocity m/s ft/s
Pressure Pa (1 Pa = 1 N/m2) psi=lbf/in2
bar (1 bar = 105 Pa)
torr (1 torr = 1 mmHg)
atm (1 atm = 101325 Pa)

Table 1.3 Conversion factors

0
1 ft = 12 in = 0.3048 m F = 321.8* 0C
0
1 in = 2.54 cm C = (0F-32)/1.8
0
1 US gallon = 3.7854 l R = 460 0F
1 lbm = 0.4536 kg K = 273.15 0C
1 lbf = 4.4482 N
1 psi = 6894.76 Pa
0C =
0F/1.8
1 HP =745.7 W
0C =
K
1 Btu = 1055.06 J = 0.25216 kcal
0F =
0R
1kWh = 3600 kJ

S. Yanniotis, Solving Problems in Food Engineering. 1

Springer 2008
2 1 Conversion of Units

Examples

Example 1.1

Convert 100 Btu/h ft2oF to kW/m2oC

Solution

Btu Btu 1055:06 J 1 kJ 1h 1ft2

100 100



h ft2 8 F h ft2 8 F 1 Btu 1000 J 3600 s 0:3048 m2
1:8 8 F 1 kW kW

8

0:5678 2 8
1 C 1 kJ=s m C

Example 1.2

Convert 100 lb mol/h ft2 to kg mol/s m2

Solution

lb mol lbmol 0:4536 kg mol 1 h 1 ft2 kg mol

100 100


0:1356
h ft2 h ft2 lb mol 3600 s 0:3048 m2 s m2

Example 1.3

Convert 0.5 lbf s/ft2 to Pas

Solution

lbf s lbf s 4:4482 N 1 ft2 1 Pa

0:5 0:5

2 1 N=m2
23:94 Pa s
ft2 ft2 lbf 0:3048 m

Exercises

Exercise 1.1

Make the following conversions:

1) 10 ft lbf/lbm to J/kg, 2) 0.5 Btu/lbmoF to J/kgoC, 3) 32.174 lbmft/lbfs2 to kgm/
Ns2, 4) 1000 lbmft /s2 to N, 5) 10 kcal/min ft oF to W/mK, 6) 30 psia to atm,
7) 0.002 kg/ms to lbmft s, 8) 5 lb mol/h ft2mol frac to kg mol/s m2 mol frac,
9) 1.987 Btu/lbmol oR to cal/gmol K, 10) 10.731 ft3lbf/in2lbmol oR to J/kgmol K
Exercises 3

Solution
ft lbf ft lbf ::::::::::::::m :::::::::::::::N ::::::::::::::lbm :::::::::::::J
1) 10 10




lbm lbm ft 1 lbf 0:4536 kg mN
J
29:89
kg
Btu Btu 1055:06 J ::::::::::::: 1:88F J
2) 0:5 0:5


2094:4
lbm 8F lbm 8F :::::::::: ::::::::::::: 18C kg8C

lbm ft lbm ft ::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::m :::::::::::::::

3) 32:174 2
32:174



lbf s lbf s2 :::::::::::::::lbm 1 ft 4:4482 N
kg m
1
N s2
lbm ft lbm ft 0:4536 kg :::::::::::::::: 1N
4) 1000 2 1000 2


138:3 N
s s :::::::::::::::: 1 ft 1 kg m=s2

kcal kcal 1055:06 J ::::::::: min ::::::::::::ft :::::::::::8F

5) 10 10




min ft o F min ft o F 0:252 kcal 60 s :::::::::::m ::::::::::K
:::::::::W W

4121
::::::::::J=s mK
lbf ::::::::::::::::in2 ::::::::::::::::::N :::::::::::::::::Pa
6) 30 psia 30 2



in :::::::::::::::::m2 ::::::::::::::::::lbf ::::::::::::::N=m2
:::::::::::::::::atm

2:04 atm
:::::::::::::::::Pa
kg kg ::::::::::::::lbm :::::::::::::::m lbm
7) 0:002 0:002

0:0013
ms m s :::::::::::::::kg ::::::::::::::::::ft ft s
lb mol lb mol ::::::::::::::::kg mol :::::::::::::::::h
8) 5 5


h ft2 mol frac h ft2 mol frac ::::::::::::::: lb mol ::::::::::::::::::s
:::::::::::::::::ft2 kg mol

6:78  103
:::::::::::::::::::m2 s m2 mol frac
Btu Btu ::::::::::::::cal ::::::::::::::::lb mol
9) 1:987 1:987


lb mol 8R lb mol 8R ::::::::::::::Btu ::::::::::::::::g mol
::::::::::::::8R cal

1:987
::::::::::::K g mol K
ft3 lbf ft3 lbf ::::::::::::::::m3 ::::::::::::::::N
10) 10:731 2 10:731 2


in lb mol8R in lb mol8R :::::::::::::::::::ft3 ::::::::::::::::::lbf
::::::::::::::::in2 :::::::::::::lb mol 1:88R




:::::::::::::::::::m2 :::::::::::::kg mol K
J
8314
kg mol K
4 1 Conversion of Units

Exercise 1.2

Make the following conversions:

251oF to oC 0.01 ft2/h to m2/s

(Ans. 121.7 oC) (Ans. 2.58x10-7 m2/s)
500oR to K 0.8 cal/goC to J/kgK
(Ans. 277.6 K) (Ans. 3347.3 J/kgK)
0.04 lbm/in3 to kg/m3 20000 kg m/s2 m2 to psi
(Ans. 1107.2 kg/m3) (Ans. 2.9 psi)
12000 Btu/h to W 0.3 Btu/lbmoF to J/kgK
(Ans. 3516.9 W ) (Ans. 1256 J/kgK)
32.174 ft/s2 to m/s2 1000 ft3/(h ft2 psi/ft) to
(Ans. 9.807 m/s2 ) cm3/(s cm2 Pa/cm)
(Ans. 0.0374 cm3/(s cm2 Pa/cm )