Skip to main content

Convert Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin

Instantly convert Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (kcal/(hr·m²·°C)) to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K)) with our free online calculator.

Reviewed by Christopher FloiedUpdated

Formula: kcal/(hr·m²·°C) to W/(m²·K)multiply by 1.163

Reference Table

Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (kcal/(hr·m²·°C))Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K))
11.163
55.815
1011.63
2529.075
5058.15
100116.3

How to Convert Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin

Formula

To convert Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (kcal/(hr·m²·°C)) to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K)): multiply by 1.163

Step-by-Step

  1. Start with your value in Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (kcal/(hr·m²·°C)).
  2. Multiply by 1.163 to perform the conversion.
  3. The result is your value expressed in Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K)).

Conversion Factor

1 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) = 1.163 W/(m²·K)

Reverse Factor

1 W/(m²·K) = 0.859845 kcal/(hr·m²·°C)

Worked Example

Convert 25 Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin: 25 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) = 29.075 W/(m²·K)

About Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (kcal/(hr·m²·°C))

A legacy metric unit of heat-transfer coefficient equal to exactly 1.163 W/(m²·K). Persists in identifiable contexts: older European engineering literature (especially German DIN-era HVAC handbooks from pre-1980 e.g. Recknagel-Sprenger; French ASHRAE-equivalent French Fluides handbook; Italian process-plant documentation from the 1960s-80s), Russian / Soviet thermodynamic and heat-exchanger documentation that retained metric-calorie units into the post-Soviet transition period, and some older industrial heat-exchanger nameplates still in service in European chemical and refinery facilities (especially East German VEB-era equipment). Numerically convenient because typical convective h values fall in 1-1,000 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) range — a clean three-significant-figure span. Convert kcal/(hr·m²·°C) to W/(m²·K) by multiplying by 1.163; to BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) by multiplying by 0.2048. The unit is officially deprecated under ISO 80000 in favor of W/(m²·K), but remains useful for interpreting and modernizing legacy European technical documentation.

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 Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius equals 1.163 Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin
  • 1 Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin equals 0.859845 Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius
  • Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius 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 Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius belongs to the metric system

Common Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin Conversions

Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (kcal/(hr·m²·°C))Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin (W/(m²·K))
0.010.01163
0.10.1163
0.250.29075
0.50.5815
11.163
22.326
33.489
55.815
1011.63
1517.445
2023.26
2529.075
5058.15
7587.225
100116.3
250290.75
500581.5
10001163
50005815
1000011630

Understanding Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius

The Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius (symbol: kcal/(hr·m²·°C)) is a unit of heat transfer coefficient. A legacy metric unit of heat-transfer coefficient equal to exactly 1.163 W/(m²·K). Persists in identifiable contexts: older European engineering literature (especially German DIN-era HVAC handbooks from pre-1980 e.g. Recknagel-Sprenger; French ASHRAE-equivalent French Fluides handbook; Italian process-plant documentation from the 1960s-80s), Russian / Soviet thermodynamic and heat-exchanger documentation that retained metric-calorie units into the post-Soviet transition period, and some older industrial heat-exchanger nameplates still in service in European chemical and refinery facilities (especially East German VEB-era equipment). Numerically convenient because typical convective h values fall in 1-1,000 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) range — a clean three-significant-figure span. Convert kcal/(hr·m²·°C) to W/(m²·K) by multiplying by 1.163; to BTU/(hr·ft²·°F) by multiplying by 0.2048. The unit is officially deprecated under ISO 80000 in favor of W/(m²·K), but remains useful for interpreting and modernizing legacy European technical documentation.

It belongs to the metric measurement system.

Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius 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 Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin?

Converting between Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius 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 Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin?

A legacy metric unit of heat-transfer coefficient equal to exactly 1. To convert Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin, multiply by 1.163. For example, 25 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) equals 29.075 W/(m²·K).

How many Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin are in 1 Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius?

There are 1.163 Watts per Square Meter-Kelvin in 1 Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius.

How many Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius are in 1 Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin?

There are 0.859845 Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius in 1 Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin.

What is the formula for Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius to Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin conversion?

The formula is: multiply by 1.163. This means 1 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) = 1.163 W/(m²·K).

Is a Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius bigger than a Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin?

No. One Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius is smaller than one Watt per Square Meter-Kelvin because 1 kcal/(hr·m²·°C) equals 1.163 W/(m²·K), which is greater than 1.

When do you need to convert between Kilocalories per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius 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). Kilocalorie per Hour-Square Meter-Celsius 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.

More Heat Transfer Coefficient Conversions

Related Tools