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Convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin

Instantly convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (BTU/(hr·ft²·°F)) to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K)) with our free online calculator.

Reviewed by Christopher FloiedUpdated

Formula: BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) to W/(m²·K)multiply by 5.67826

Reference Table

BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (BTU/(hr·ft²·°F))Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K))
15.67826
528.3913
1056.7826
25141.957
50283.913
100567.826

How to Convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin

Formula

To convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (BTU/(hr·ft²·°F)) to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K)): multiply by 5.67826

Step-by-Step

  1. Start with your value in BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (BTU/(hr·ft²·°F)).
  2. Multiply by 5.67826 to perform the conversion.
  3. The result is your value expressed in Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K)).

Conversion Factor

1 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) = 5.67826 W/(m²·K)

Reverse Factor

1 W/(m²·K) = 0.17611 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F)

Worked Example

Convert 25 BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin: 25 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) = 141.957 W/(m²·K)

About BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (BTU/(hr·ft²·°F))

An imperial heat-transfer-coefficient unit (≈ 5.6783 W/(m²·K) per NIST SP 811). Dominant in US HVAC design, building-envelope U-factor calculations per ASHRAE 90.1, refrigeration system design, and petroleum-industry / chemical-process heat-exchanger specifications per TEMA. ASHRAE Handbook fundamentals tables list film coefficients for building surfaces in BTU/(hr·ft²·°F): indoor air still-film 1.47 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) (the universally-cited value for interior-wall winter heating-load calculations); exterior with 15 mph wind 6.0; exterior with 7.5 mph summer wind 4.0; roof underside ~1.47-1.61 depending on emissivity. US heat-exchanger overall heat-transfer coefficients (U-values) per Perry's: water-water shell-tube 150-300 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F); steam-condensing-to-water condenser 200-1,500; refrigerant-to-air finned coil 5-15 (air-side dominant); fuel-fired furnace radiation section 1-3 (radiation-dominated). Convert BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) to W/(m²·K) by multiplying by 5.6783; to kW/(m²·K) by multiplying by 5.6783 × 10⁻³.

About Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K))

The SI unit of convective heat-transfer coefficient h (ISO 80000-5 §5-11) — the constant of proportionality between surface heat flux and the fluid-to-surface temperature difference in Newton's law of cooling (q = h·ΔT). W/(m²·K) is the universal working unit in heat-exchanger thermal design (shell-and-tube per TEMA standards, plate-frame per ALPEMA, brazed-aluminum-plate-fin per ALPEMA), HVAC system design (per ASHRAE Handbook fundamentals chapters), boiler and condenser sizing per ASME Section VIII, refrigeration evaporator and condenser design, and electronics-cooling thermal analysis. Reference values from Incropera-DeWitt 'Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer' Table 1.1: natural convection in air 2-25 W/(m²·K) (dominant resistance in building envelopes); forced-convection air 25-250 W/(m²·K) (HVAC ducts, cooling fans); natural convection water 50-1,000 W/(m²·K); forced-convection water 100-20,000 W/(m²·K); boiling water 2,500-100,000 W/(m²·K) (nucleate-boiling regime, with critical heat flux at ~1 MW/m²); filmwise condensation 5,000-15,000 W/(m²·K); dropwise condensation 30,000-150,000 W/(m²·K) — 10× higher than filmwise, exploited in advanced condenser surface treatments. Also called the 'film coefficient' in older HVAC literature.

Quick Facts

  • 1 BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit equals 5.67826 Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin
  • 1 Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin equals 0.17611 BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit
  • BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit is a unit of heat transfer coefficient
  • Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin is a unit of heat transfer coefficient
  • This conversion is commonly used in heat exchanger design, HVAC engineering, and process optimization
  • The BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit belongs to the imperial system
  • The Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin belongs to the metric system

Common BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin Conversions

BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (BTU/(hr·ft²·°F))Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K))
0.010.0567826
0.10.567826
0.251.41956
0.52.83913
15.67826
211.3565
317.0348
528.3913
1056.7826
1585.1739
20113.565
25141.957
50283.913
75425.87
100567.826
2501419.57
5002839.13
10005678.26
500028391.3
1000056782.6

Understanding BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit

The BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit (symbol: BTU/(hr·ft²·°F)) is a unit of heat transfer coefficient. An imperial heat-transfer-coefficient unit (≈ 5.6783 W/(m²·K) per NIST SP 811). Dominant in US HVAC design, building-envelope U-factor calculations per ASHRAE 90.1, refrigeration system design, and petroleum-industry / chemical-process heat-exchanger specifications per TEMA. ASHRAE Handbook fundamentals tables list film coefficients for building surfaces in BTU/(hr·ft²·°F): indoor air still-film 1.47 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) (the universally-cited value for interior-wall winter heating-load calculations); exterior with 15 mph wind 6.0; exterior with 7.5 mph summer wind 4.0; roof underside ~1.47-1.61 depending on emissivity. US heat-exchanger overall heat-transfer coefficients (U-values) per Perry's: water-water shell-tube 150-300 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F); steam-condensing-to-water condenser 200-1,500; refrigerant-to-air finned coil 5-15 (air-side dominant); fuel-fired furnace radiation section 1-3 (radiation-dominated). Convert BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) to W/(m²·K) by multiplying by 5.6783; to kW/(m²·K) by multiplying by 5.6783 × 10⁻³.

It belongs to the imperial measurement system.

BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit are commonly used in heat exchanger design, HVAC engineering, and process optimization.

Understanding Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin

The Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin (symbol: W/(m²·K)) is a unit of heat transfer coefficient. The SI unit of convective heat-transfer coefficient h (ISO 80000-5 §5-11) — the constant of proportionality between surface heat flux and the fluid-to-surface temperature difference in Newton's law of cooling (q = h·ΔT). W/(m²·K) is the universal working unit in heat-exchanger thermal design (shell-and-tube per TEMA standards, plate-frame per ALPEMA, brazed-aluminum-plate-fin per ALPEMA), HVAC system design (per ASHRAE Handbook fundamentals chapters), boiler and condenser sizing per ASME Section VIII, refrigeration evaporator and condenser design, and electronics-cooling thermal analysis. Reference values from Incropera-DeWitt 'Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer' Table 1.1: natural convection in air 2-25 W/(m²·K) (dominant resistance in building envelopes); forced-convection air 25-250 W/(m²·K) (HVAC ducts, cooling fans); natural convection water 50-1,000 W/(m²·K); forced-convection water 100-20,000 W/(m²·K); boiling water 2,500-100,000 W/(m²·K) (nucleate-boiling regime, with critical heat flux at ~1 MW/m²); filmwise condensation 5,000-15,000 W/(m²·K); dropwise condensation 30,000-150,000 W/(m²·K) — 10× higher than filmwise, exploited in advanced condenser surface treatments. Also called the 'film coefficient' in older HVAC literature.

It belongs to the metric measurement system.

Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin are commonly used in heat exchanger design, HVAC engineering, and process optimization.

Why Convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin?

Converting between BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit and Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin is a frequent requirement for engineers, scientists, and students working with heat transfer coefficient values. Different industries and regions favour different unit systems, so having a dependable conversion tool saves time and prevents errors in technical calculations. Whether you are verifying a specification sheet, cross-checking simulation results, or preparing a report for an international audience, accurate heat transfer coefficient conversion is essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin?

An imperial heat-transfer-coefficient unit (≈ 5. To convert BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin, multiply by 5.67826. For example, 25 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) equals 141.957 W/(m²·K).

How many Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin are in 1 BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit?

There are 5.67826 Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin in 1 BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit.

How many BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit are in 1 Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin?

There are 0.17611 BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit in 1 Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin.

What is the formula for BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit to Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin conversion?

The formula is: multiply by 5.67826. This means 1 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) = 5.67826 W/(m²·K).

Is a BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit bigger than a Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin?

No. One BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit is smaller than one Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin because 1 BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) equals 5.67826 W/(m²·K), which is greater than 1.

When do you need to convert between BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit and Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin?

The SI unit of convective heat-transfer coefficient h (ISO 80000-5 §5-11) — the constant of proportionality between surface heat flux and the fluid-to-surface temperature difference in Newton's law of cooling (q = h·ΔT). BTU per Hour-Square Foot-Fahrenheit and Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin are both heat transfer coeff units, so conversion comes up whenever one source of information uses one unit and another uses the other — a classic cross-reference challenge in engineering, trade, travel, and everyday life.

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