Conversion Result
Typical Heat Flux Values
Building Insulation: 5-10 W/m²
Solar Radiation at Earth's Surface: ~1000 W/m² (maximum)
Human Skin: ~50-100 W/m² (heat loss)
Industrial Furnace: 50,000-100,000 W/m²
Computer Chip: 1,000,000 W/m² (high-performance)
Heat flux is the rate of heat energy transfer through a given surface per unit area. It's measured in watts per square meter (W/m²) in SI units or BTU per hour per square foot (BTU/hr•ft²) in imperial units.
Different industries and regions use different unit systems. SI units (W/m²) are common in scientific work, while BTU/hr•ft² is often used in HVAC and building engineering in the US. Some specialized fields use other units based on their specific needs.
The basic formula is: q = Q/A, where q is heat flux, Q is heat transfer rate, and A is the area. For conductive heat transfer, it can also be expressed as q = k(ΔT/L), where k is thermal conductivity, ΔT is temperature difference, and L is thickness.