Engineering calculator reviewed for preliminary design use · Last updated: March 2026
Calculate heat duty Q = m·Cp·ΔT for heating or cooling applications. Apply to heat exchanger design duty, reactor heat removal, and utility consumption estimation.
Heat balance calculations determine the amount of heat required to raise or lower the temperature of a process stream.
Q = m · Cp · ΔT
Design margins should be applied for real systems.
This calculator uses the sensible heat equation Q = ṁCpΔT and does not directly account for latent heat from phase changes (boiling, condensation). For phase change, add the latent heat duty separately.
This provides a screening-level heat duty estimate. For detailed design, account for heat losses, fouling, non-constant Cp, and mixing effects. Accuracy is typically within 5-15% for single-phase liquid systems.
These results are preliminary estimates for screening-level design use. They do not replace detailed engineering, code compliance verification, or vendor-certified calculations.