|
Units:
Energy Through
Our Lives
What
is Energy?
Energy
Rules!
Course Overview
Definitions
Course
Home
|
What is Energy?
|
 |
Section C. Measuring and Quantifying Energy
|
1. Conversion and Resource Tables
|
Energy
Conversions |
| |
British Thermal Unit |
Foot-
pounds |
Joules |
calories |
Kilo-
calories |
Kilowatt-
hours |
| 1 British Thermal Unit |
1 |
777.9 |
1055 |
252.0 |
0.252 |
2.93x10-4 |
| 1 Foot-pound |
0.001285 |
1 |
1.356 |
0.3238 |
3.238x10-4 |
3.766x10-7 |
1 joule
|
9.481x10-4 |
0.7376 |
1 |
0.2388 |
2.388x10-4 |
2.778x10-7 |
1 calorie
|
0.003969 |
3.088 |
4.187 |
1 |
0.001 |
1.163x10-6 |
1 kilocalorie
|
3.969 |
3088 |
4187 |
1000 |
1 |
0.001163 |
| 1 kilowatt hour |
3413 |
2.655x106 |
3.6x106 |
8.598x105 |
859.8 |
1 |
Table adapted from
"ELEMENTS OF PHYSICS
5/E. by
SHORTLEY/WILLIAMS,
1971. Adapted by
permission of Prentice-Hall,
Inc., Upper Saddle River, N.J.
For example, this table shows that 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh)
= 3413 British Thermal Units (Btu). If you were to convert 15 kWh to
Btu, use the following calculation:
15 kWh x 3413 British Thermal Units
= 51,195 Btu
1 kWh
|
Power
Conversions |
| |
Foot-Pounds per second |
Horse-
power |
calories per second |
Kilo-
watts |
Watts |
| 1 foot-pound per second |
1 |
0.001818 |
0.3238 |
0.001356 |
1.356 |
1 horsepower
|
550 |
1 |
178.1 |
0.746 |
746 |
| 1 Calorie per second |
3.088 |
0.005615 |
1 |
0.004187 |
4.187 |
1 kilowatt
|
737.6 |
1.341 |
238.8 |
1 |
1000 |
1 watt
|
0.7376 |
0.001341 |
0.2388 |
0.001 |
1 |
For example, this table shows that 1 watt = 0.001341
horsepower. If you were to convert 250 watts to horsepower, use the
following calculation:
250 watts x 0.001341 horsepower
= 0.34 horsepower
1 watt
Conversion
Factors
Average Energy Content of Various Fuels |
| 1 kilowatt hour of electricity |
= |
3413 British thermal units (Btu) |
| 1 cubic foot of natural gas |
= |
1,008 to 1,034 Btu |
| 1 therm of natural gas |
= |
100,000 Btu |
| 1 gallon of crude oil |
= |
138,095 Btu |
| 1 barrel of crude oil |
= |
5,800,000 Btu |
| 1 gallon of residual fuel oil |
= |
149,690 Btu |
| 1 gallon of gasoline |
= |
125,000 Btu |
| 1 gallon of ethanol |
= |
84,400 Btu |
| 1 gallon methanol |
= |
62,800 Btu |
1 gallon of gasohol
(10% ethanol, 90% gasoline) |
= |
120,900 Btu |
1 gallon of E-85
(85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) |
= |
90,500 Btu |
| 1 gallon of kerosene or light distillate oil |
= |
135,000 Btu |
| 1 gallon of middle distillate or diesel fuel oil |
= |
138,690 Btu |
| 1 gallon of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) |
= |
95,475 Btu |
| 1 pound of coal |
= |
8,100 to 13,000 Btu |
| 1 ton coal |
= |
16,200,000 to 26,000,000 Btu |
| 1 ton wood |
= |
9,000,000 to 17,000,000 Btu |
| 1 standard cord of wood |
= |
18,000,000 to 24,000,000 Btu |
| 1 face cord of wood |
= |
6,000,000 to 8,000,000 Btu |
| 1 pound of low pressure steam (recoverable heat) |
= |
1,000 Btu |
|
Measurement Conversions |
| 1 short ton (ton) = 2,000 pounds = 6.65 barrels
(crude oil) |
| 1 metric ton (tonn) = 2,200 pounds |
| 1 barrel (bbl) = 42 gallons = 5.615 cubic feet =
159.0 liters |
| 1 therm = 105 Btu = 100,000 Btu |
| 1 thousand Btu (kBtu) = 1,000 Btu |
| 1 million Btu (MMBtu) = 1,000,000 Btu |
| 1 quad = 1 quadrillion Btu = 1015 Btu
=
1,000,000,000 MMBtu |
| 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) = 1,000 watt-hours |
| 1 megawatt-hour (MWh) = 1,000 kWh or 1,000,000
watt-hours |
| 1 gigawatt-hour (GWh) = 1,000 MWh or 1,000,000,000
watt-hours |
| 1 standard cord of wood = 8 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet
= 128 cubic feet = approximately 4,000 pounds |
| 1 face cord of wood = 8 feet x 4 feet x 16 inches =
42.7 cubic feet = approximately 1,333 pounds |
|
Coal Types |
| Type of Coal |
Average Energy Content
(Btu per lb.) |
Carbon Content
(%) |
Sulfur Content*
(%) |
Known U.S. Reserves
(%) |
| Anthracite |
12,500 |
86-98 |
0.4-1.9 |
1.5 |
| Bituminous |
12,000 |
50-86 |
0.8-5.0 |
51.0 |
| Subbituminous |
9,000 |
40-0 |
0.6-1.8 |
38.0 |
| Lignite |
7,000 |
40 |
1.6 |
9.5 |
| * For selected samples
of coal types. Numbers may not cover the compete range of sulfur
contained in a given type of coal. |
Adapted from U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information
Administration, Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric, and Alternative
Fuels. Coal Data: A Reference: Washington, D.C. 1995.
|
Energy Content and Weight
per Cord of
Certain Types of Wood Found in Wisconsin |
| Type of Wood |
Energy Content / Cord
of Wood
(MMBtu* / cord) |
Energy Content / Pound
of Wood
(Btu / pound) |
Weight / Cord of
Air-Dried Wood
(pounds / cord) |
| Ash |
20.0 |
5,814 |
3,400 |
| Aspen |
12.5 |
5,787 |
2,160 |
| Balsam Fir |
11.3 |
5,381 |
2,100 |
| Beech |
21.8 |
5,798 |
3,760 |
| Birch (Yellow) |
21.3 |
5,788 |
3,680 |
| Hickory (shagbark) |
24.6 |
5,801 |
4,240 |
| Maple (sugar) |
21.3 |
5,788 |
3,680 |
| Oak (white) |
22.7 |
5,791 |
3,920 |
| Pine (white) |
13.3 |
6,394 |
2,080 |
*1 MMBtu = 1,000,000 Btu
Adapted from Solar Energy Project
"Heating Value of
Wood" p. 2-13 in "Wood:
Stored Solar Energy."
Renewable Energy Activities
for Biology. Albany, N.Y.:
Solar Energy Project, State University of New York at Albany, n.d., and Wisconsin Department of Natural
Resources, Bureau of
Forestry. Forest Trees of Wisconsin: How to Know
Them. Madison, Wisc., 1990. PUBL-FR-053 90REV.
| Average
U.S. Household Electric Consumption for Major Electrical
Appliances |
| Appliance |
Annual kWh Consumption
per Household |
| Central Air Conditioning |
2,667 |
| Room Air Conditioning |
738 |
| Water Heater |
2,671 |
| Refrigerator |
1,155 |
| Freezer |
1,204 |
| Range / Oven |
458 |
| Dishwasher |
299 |
| Water Bed Heater |
960 |
| Clothes Washer |
99 |
| Clothes Dryer |
875 |
From Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory.
"Standby Consumption
Values for Residential Appliances," table. Internet. Leaking Electricity
Home Page:
eetd.lbl.gov/leaking. 1998.
|
Wattages
of Small- and Medium-Sized Electrical Appliances and Equipment
Found in Homes and Schools |
| Home Appliance |
Wattage (Watts) |
Home Appliance |
Wattage (Watts) |
| Heating/Cooling |
Laundry/Utility |
| Dehumidifier |
645 |
Iron |
1,000 |
Fans
Ceiling
20-24" Window
Oscillating |
100
200
88 |
Vacuum Cleaner |
650 |
| Portable Humidifier |
88 |
Personal
Care |
| Portable Space Heater |
1,500 |
Blanket |
200 |
| Water Bed Heater |
350 |
Curling Iron |
40 |
| Home
Office and Entertainment |
Hair Dryer
Blower
Blower/Styler
Hood-Type
Soft Bonnet |
1,200
600
1,200
400 |
Fish Aquarium
Filter
Heater
Pump |
10
100
10 |
Heating Pad |
50 |
| Home Computer (Standard) |
150 |
Shaver |
14 |
Printer
Ink Jet
Laser |
19
175-275 |
Toothbrush (Electric) |
7 |
| Movie or Slide Projector |
150 |
School Equipment |
Wattage (Watts) |
| Sewing Machine |
75 |
Aquarium Pump |
4 |
| Solid-State Radio |
15 |
Aquarium Heater |
100 |
| Stereo |
110 |
Computer (Standard) |
150 |
Television
Color
Black & White |
200-350
40-160 |
Photocopier |
Up to 2,500 |
| Typewriter |
60 |
Ditto Machine |
65 |
| VCR |
40 |
Electric Typewriter |
Less than 50 |
| Kitchen |
Film Projector |
350 |
| Blender |
400 |
Filmstrip Projector |
500 |
| Broiler |
1,500 |
Filmstrip Viewer |
7 |
| Can Opener |
120 |
Opaque Projector |
1,000 |
| Coffee Maker |
1,400 |
Overhead Projector |
500-850 |
Corn Popper
Hot-Air Type
Oil-Type |
1,200
575 |
Printer
Ink Jet
Laser |
19
175-275 |
| Food Chopper |
360 |
Record Player |
30-100 |
| Food Processor |
360 |
Slide Projector |
500 |
| Frying Pan/Skillet |
1,300 |
Tape Recorder |
6-100 |
| Hot Plate |
1,100 |
Television
Black & White
Color |
40-160
200-350 |
| Kettle |
1,500 |
VCR |
40 |
| Microwave Oven |
750 |
|
|
Mixer
Hand
Heavy-Duty |
120
210 |
|
|
| Toaster |
1,000 |
|
|
| Toaster Over |
1,350 |
|
|
| Waffle Maker |
1,200 |
|
|
Society, Environment & Energy Development Studies Foundation:
SEEDS 5: The Energy Literacy Series. p. 38. Edmonton, Alberta:
Society, Environment & Energy Development Studies Foundation, 1981.
Wisconsin Public Service Corporation. Appliance Energy Cents.
157-1035 8/95. Green Bay, Wisc.: Wisconsin Public Service
Corporation, August, 1995.
Madison Gas and Electric Co. Appliance Energy Costs. Madison,
Wisc.: Madison Gas and Electric Co., 1996.
 Close this window to return to the page you were just
on.
To return to
What is Energy? index page.
To return to the
Course
Overview page.
|
