Heat Loss Calculator

The BriskHeat Heat Loss Calculator is a tool to assist in determining the amount of power required to complete a heating process or maintain the elevated temperature of a liquid or solid. Due to the changing properties of gases during heat-up, this Heat Loss Calculator cannot be used as a tool for determining the requirements for heating gases such as air or vaporization of gases from liquid to gaseous states. Heating power is shown at the bottom of the page when all required inputs have been entered. A safety margin of 10 – 20% is recommended. If the vessel is insulated externally, an outside insulator temperature is provided.

Physical Thermodynamic Properties of Common Liquids

Using this tool:

Information required for all calculations include:

• Vessel Geometry including wall thickness – for horizontal cylinders, enter the length as “Height”
• Vessel Material – shell material
• Vessel Fill Percentage – maximum percent with contents
• Ambient, Operating and Initial Temperatures
• Wind Velocity – anything outside an enclosure will encounter some amount of wind
• Insulation Type, Thickness, and Coverage

Temperature maintenance operations are defined as having an Initial Temperature equal to the Operating Temperature. Power is required to compensate for losses due to environmental conditions such as ambient temperature or wind. The information above is sufficient for calculating power required to maintain a temperature.

When the Operating Temperature is higher than the Initial Temperature, it is necessary to provide information concerning the contents of the vessel to be heated. If the contents are not listed in the drop-down, the specific heat and density of the material can be manually entered. If the contents are a mixture, use the material with the highest percentage by volume, understanding the result will not be as accurate. The heat up time to be allotted is also required for the calculation.

To calculate the power required to heat a flowing liquid, enter the fastest flow rate anticipated.

Tips:

1. The lines separating the different sections will turn from red to green when the required information has been completed.
2. Required wattage can be reduced by increasing the coverage area and thickness of insulation.
3. Increasing the allotted heat-up time will decrease required wattage.
4. A safety factor is recommended to ensure sufficient power for heating.
5. BriskHeat’s sales professionals and distributors have the knowledge to assist in selecting the correct products to meeting your heating needs!
6. If the ambient temperature decreases or wind velocity increases, the result could be slow heat up or insufficient wattage to achieve operating temperature.