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SI Data
When precise values are required, reference should be made to the proprietors of the gas field
concerned or to published data.
Manufactured Gases
These are derived from primary energy sources by processes involving chemical reaction, e.g.,
gases produced from coal and naphta, also propane, butane, etc. Gas as pipe to consumers can
comprise both manufactured gases and natural gas used for enrichment. Calorific values of the
component gases can thus vary widely depending on origin, but the resulting blend of what is
known as town gas has a fairly constant heating value which, depending on locality, is usually
about half that of natural gas. Exact figures can only come from the distribution company
concerned.
Solid Fuels
The calorific value of solid fuels varies widely between countries, grades, qualities, and even from
seam to seam. It is particularly important, therefore, to use local data wherever possible.
Measurements in Btu/lb or kcal/kg will normally include moisture and ash content as received.
N.B. Btu/lb x 0.5556 = kcal/kg
kcal/kg x 1.8 = Btu/lb
Where actual values are not known, an average gross calorific value of 12,400 Btu/lb (6,890
kcal/kg is consider reasonable for hard coal grades of good quality. This also serves as the basis of
a common unit, "coal equivalent," to which the many grades of solid fuel and other forms of
energy may be reduced for the purposes of aggregation. Standard fuel for the purposes of
European Economic Community statistics is considered to have a heat value of 7,000 kcal/kg.
Electricity
The basic unit of electric power is the watt (W), with the kilowatt-hour (kWh) as the derivative of
most importance.
1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) = 3,412.14 Btu = 859.845 kcal = 3,600 kJ
See note to Table 4.
Liquid Fuels
In the case of liquids fuels, the actual calorific value of the particular fuel under consideration
should be used where possible for conversions to other units, for example when calculating the
natural gas equivalent of some specific application. For more general conversions, refer to Table 1.
Standard Reference Fuels
To convert different types and grades of fuel to a common basis for the purposes of presentation or
comparison, it is the practice to express them in terms of some standard unit of a defined calorific
value, for example:
Barrel of Oil Equivalent (b.o.e.), with a heat content of 5.8 x 106 Btu gross
Tons of Oil Equivalent (t.o.e.), simply a hypothetical "ton of oil" with an average heating value of
43 x 106 Btu gross.
Oil equivalents may, if required, also be expressed in terms of standard fuel oil equivalent with a
calorific value of 41.4 x 106 Btu per ton gross, i.e., 18,500 Btu/lb x 2,240.
Metric Tonne Coal Equivalent (t.c.e.), with a heat content of 27.337 x 106 Btu gross, i.e., 12,400
Btu/lb x 2,204.62.
The heat values of these different units and conversions between them are given in Table 3,
together with natural gas equivalents.
Engineering Constants
Mensuration Units