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Heat Transfer

Heat Duty Calculator

This calculator computes sensible heat duty from the mass flow rate (or batch mass), a user-supplied specific heat capacity and the temperature change, using Q̇ = ṁ × Cp × ΔT for continuous streams and Q = m × Cp × ΔT for batch heating or cooling.

Heat duty is the rate of energy transfer required to heat or cool a process stream. For continuous flow, it is the product of mass flow rate, specific heat capacity, and temperature change. This calculator also supports a batch mode for fixed-mass heating or cooling. You must supply the specific heat capacity — no material lookup is performed.

TypeInteractive engineering calculator

Calculator

Result
Heat duty (power)83.68 kW

Formulas

Continuous heat duty (power)
Q̇ = ṁ × Cp × ΔT
Batch heat duty (energy)
Q = m × Cp × ΔT

Diagram

Heat Duty: Process Stream HeaterQ̇heater/coolerṁ, CpT₁T₂Q̇ = ṁ × Cp × ΔT

Worked example

A stream flows at 2 kg/s with Cp = 4.184 kJ/(kg·K) and is heated by 10 K. What is the continuous heat duty?

  1. 01Q̇ = ṁ × Cp × ΔT
  2. 02Q̇ = 2 × 4.184 × 10 (all in SI: kg/s, kJ/(kg·K), K)
  3. 03Q̇ = 83.68 kW
Result

The continuous heat duty is 83.68 kW.

FAQ

Does this calculator look up Cp for water, air, or steam?
No. You must supply the specific heat capacity. No material property lookup is performed.
Is this a heat exchanger sizing calculator?
No. This calculator computes heat duty only. Heat exchanger sizing (UA, LMTD, NTU) is not implemented.
Does this handle phase change or latent heat?
No. This is a sensible-heat calculator only. Latent heat and phase-change calculations are excluded.
What is the difference between continuous and batch mode?
Continuous mode uses mass flow rate (kg/s) and produces power (kW). Batch mode uses total mass (kg) and produces energy (kJ).

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