BTU/second to Horsepower (Metric)
BTU/s
hp
Conversion History
| Conversion | Reuse | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| No conversion history to show. | ||
Quick Reference Table (BTU/second to Horsepower (Metric))
| BTU/second (BTU/s) | Horsepower (Metric) (hp) |
|---|---|
| 0.001 | 0.00143447674468518131 |
| 0.01 | 0.01434476744685181314 |
| 0.1 | 0.1434476744685181314 |
| 1 | 1.43447674468518131404 |
| 5 | 7.1723837234259065702 |
| 10 | 14.3447674468518131404 |
| 100 | 143.44767446851813140403 |
About BTU/second (BTU/s)
BTU per second (BTU/s) is a high-power thermal unit equal to approximately 1,055 watts. It is used in large-scale industrial heating, combustion engineering, and power plant heat rate analysis where BTU is the preferred energy unit and the timescale is seconds. One BTU/s is roughly the power of a small domestic gas boiler running continuously. The unit bridges the BTU-based thermal engineering tradition with second-based rate measurement.
A large industrial gas burner rated at 5 BTU/s delivers about 5,275 W of thermal power. A 1 BTU/s heat source could raise 1 lb of water by 1 °F every second.
About Horsepower (Metric) (hp)
Metric horsepower (PS or CV, from German Pferdestärke or French Cheval-vapeur) equals exactly 75 kgf·m/s or 735.49875 watts. It is the standard for automotive engine power ratings in continental Europe, Japan, and many other countries. A typical family car engine produces 70–150 PS; sports cars 200–500 PS; hypercars exceeding 1,000 PS. The metric hp is about 1.4% less than the mechanical (British) horsepower (745.7 W).
A VW Golf 1.5 TSI produces about 130 PS (96 kW). A Porsche 911 Turbo S produces 650 PS (478 kW). The metric hp is the number on European car spec sheets.
Etymology: Introduced in the late 19th century as a metric alternative to Watt's mechanical horsepower, defined as the power to raise 75 kilograms by one meter per second. Widely adopted in continental Europe and Japan; standardized as the PS (Pferdestärke) in Germany.
BTU/second – Frequently Asked Questions
Why would anyone use BTU per second instead of kilowatts?
In US combustion engineering and power plant heat rate analysis, fuel energy content is natively specified in BTU (natural gas is sold per therm = 100,000 BTU). Expressing burner output in BTU/s keeps the calculation in one unit system, avoiding constant conversions. When your fuel flow is in BTU/min and your efficiency calculations use BTU, switching to watts mid-calculation just creates errors.
How does 1 BTU/s compare to everyday power levels?
One BTU/s ≈ 1,055 watts — roughly a single-bar electric fire or a small hair dryer. It's a surprisingly human-scale unit. A typical US home gas furnace running at full blast produces about 28 BTU/s (100,000 BTU/h ÷ 3,600). A gas stovetop burner on high delivers about 3–5 BTU/s. So BTU/s lands right in the range where you can feel the heat on your face.
What industries commonly use BTU per second?
Power plant thermal engineering (heat rate analysis), industrial furnace and kiln design, jet engine combustion analysis, and rocket propulsion engineering. NASA specifications for rocket engines often include BTU/s figures. The Space Shuttle Main Engine produced about 12 million BTU/s of thermal power. Steelmaking blast furnaces operate at 50,000–200,000 BTU/s of heat input.
How do you convert BTU/s to horsepower?
One BTU/s = 1.415 mechanical horsepower, or roughly 1.4 hp. This is useful in automotive and engine testing where dynamometers may report in BTU/s for thermal measurements but engineers think in horsepower. A 400 hp engine rejects about 280 BTU/s through its cooling system at full power (assuming 60% of fuel energy becomes waste heat). The conversion factor is easy to remember: multiply BTU/s by 1.4 to get hp.
What is a BTU anyway and why does America still use it?
A BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the energy needed to raise 1 pound of water by 1°F — about 1,055 joules. Despite the name, Britain abandoned it decades ago. America keeps it because the entire HVAC, natural gas, and building industry infrastructure — codes, equipment ratings, contractor training — is built around BTU. Switching would require rewriting thousands of standards and retraining millions of technicians. It's inertia, pure and simple.
Horsepower (Metric) – Frequently Asked Questions
Why do European cars list PS instead of hp?
EU regulations require engine power in kilowatts, but consumers prefer a familiar number. Continental Europe adopted metric horsepower (PS) in the 19th century, and car culture cemented it. Germans say "PS," French say "CV," Italians say "CV" too. The UK uses "bhp" (British horsepower). A 200 PS car is 197 hp — close enough that most people don't notice the 1.4% difference. Japanese manufacturers use PS as well (sometimes written 馬力).
How does a car with 100 PS actually feel to drive?
In a light car (1,000 kg), 100 PS gives a power-to-weight ratio of 100 PS/tonne — adequate for city driving with 0–100 km/h in about 10–11 seconds. In a heavy SUV (2,000 kg), 100 PS feels sluggish, struggling on hills and taking 15+ seconds to reach highway speed. The magic number for "fun" is roughly 150–200 PS per tonne — which is why a 90 PS Mazda MX-5 (1,000 kg) feels livelier than a 200 PS family SUV (1,800 kg).
What is the most powerful production car in PS?
As of 2025, the Rimac Nevera holds the production EV record at 1,914 PS (1,408 kW). For combustion engines, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport delivers 1,600 PS. Koenigsegg's Jesko Absolut produces 1,600 PS. But the real mind-bender is that a Formula 1 car's power unit produces about 1,050 PS from just 1.6 liters — over 650 PS per liter, achieved through turbocharging and energy recovery systems at 15,000 RPM.
Why is metric horsepower slightly less than British horsepower?
Because they're defined differently. British hp = 550 ft·lbf/s = 745.7 W. Metric hp = 75 kgf·m/s = 735.5 W. The metric definition uses round metric numbers (75 kg, 1 m, 1 s) rather than being an exact conversion of the British unit. The ~1.4% gap is small enough that it rarely matters practically, but it means a car rated at 200 PS is technically 197 hp. Marketing departments sometimes quietly use whichever number is larger.
Do electric cars use PS or kW for their power ratings?
Both, depending on market. Tesla lists kW in tech specs but PS/hp in consumer marketing because buyers understand horsepower intuitively. A Tesla Model 3 Performance produces about 460 PS (340 kW). The shift toward kW is accelerating because EVs make the kW connection obvious — if you charge at 11 kW and your motor outputs 150 kW, the relationship is clear. Eventually kW may replace PS entirely, but decades of "how many horses?" thinking won't die easily.