Btu (IT) per Minute per Square Foot [Btu(IT)/(min·ft²)]

The unit Btu (IT) per minute per square foot, written as Btu(IT)/(min·ft²), measures heat flux density or thermal power per unit area using the International Table British Thermal Unit (1 Btu(IT) = 1055.06 J). It represents the amount of heat energy transferred through 1 square foot of surface every minute.

This unit is commonly used in U.S. building engineering, solar energy studies, and thermal analysis where energy flux per unit area over longer periods is considered. Typical applications include:

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  Heat loss or gain through building walls, roofs, and floors

  
  
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  Solar radiation incident on panels or horizontal surfaces

  
  
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  Industrial heating or cooling rate analysis

  
  

Heat flux can be expressed mathematically as:

where q is heat flux in Btu(IT)/(min·ft²), Q is energy in Btu(IT), A is area in ft², and t is time in minutes.

Conversion to SI units:

While SI units such as W/m² are now standard, Btu(IT)/(min·ft²) remains convenient in U.S. engineering and historical thermal literature, providing an intuitive measure of heat transfer per square foot per minute.

Calorie (th) per Second per Square Centimeter [cal(th)/(s·cm²)]

The unit calorie (th) per second per square centimeter, written as cal(th)/(s·cm²), measures heat flux density or power per unit area using the thermochemical calorie (1 cal(th) = 4.184 J). It represents the amount of heat energy transferred through 1 cm² of surface every second.

This unit is commonly used in laboratory-scale heat transfer experiments, solar energy studies, and focused radiation applications, especially where the energy is concentrated over a small surface area. Applications include:

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  Solar radiation intensity measurements

  
  
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  Laser or concentrated light experiments

  
  
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  Calorimetry experiments on small samples

  
  

Heat flux can be expressed mathematically as:

where q is heat flux in cal(th)/(s·cm²), Q is energy in calories, A is area in cm², and t is time in seconds.

Conversion to SI units:

While W/m² is the SI standard, cal(th)/(s·cm²) remains useful in laboratory and historical references, providing a practical measure for high-intensity, small-area heat transfer.