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

The unit calorie (IT) per second per square centimeter, written as cal(IT)/(s·cm²), measures heat flux density or power per unit area. It represents the amount of International Table calories (1 cal(IT) = 4.1868 J) transferred through 1 cm² of surface every second.

This unit is often used in laboratory-scale heat transfer experiments, solar energy studies, and radiation measurements, especially when dealing with small surface areas where the calorie is convenient. Applications include:

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  Measuring solar energy intensity on small surfaces

  
  
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  Calorimetry experiments on samples

  
  
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  Laser or focused radiation studies

  
  

The heat flux can be expressed mathematically as:

where q is heat flux in cal(IT)/(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(IT)/(s·cm²) is convenient for small-area, high-intensity heat measurements in laboratory or historical contexts.

Btu (th) per Second per Square Inch [Btu(th)/(s·in²)]

The unit Btu (th) per second per square inch, written as Btu(th)/(s·in²), measures heat flux density or thermal power per unit area using the thermochemical British Thermal Unit (1 Btu(th) = 1054.35 J). It represents the amount of heat energy transferred through 1 square inch of surface every second.

This unit is commonly used in high-intensity thermal applications, engineering experiments, and solar energy studies where energy flux over small surfaces is significant. Typical applications include:

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  Heat flux from industrial furnaces or radiative heaters

  
  
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  Solar radiation on concentrated panels or small surfaces

  
  
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  Thermal testing of materials under high-intensity conditions

  
  

Heat flux can be expressed mathematically as:

where q is heat flux in Btu(th)/(s·in²), Q is energy in Btu(th), A is area in in², and t is time in seconds.

Conversion to SI units:

While SI units like W/m² are standard, Btu(th)/(s·in²) is useful in U.S. engineering, laboratory experiments, and historical references, providing an intuitive measure of high-intensity heat flux per square inch per second.