In the fast-paced world of engineering, manufacturing, and maintenance, it is of the utmost importance to achieve consistently accurate unit conversions.
This greatly helps to ensure precision, safety, and efficiency, whether a given professional is working on hydraulic systems, pneumatic tools, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) installations, or any of a range of other applications. Getting the numbers right will allow for costly mistakes to be avoided.
However, engineers and technicians working in the UK may face particular complexity when it comes to the need to move between different units of measurement. After all, in this part of the world, both metric and imperial systems are commonly encountered, thanks to legacy systems and international standards.
In this article, then, we will explain some of the most crucial engineering conversions, ranging from pressure to power. Alongside this, we will set out the scope that digital tools can play in simplifying conversion processes.
The Landscape of Pressure Units
To quote Britannica, pressure can be defined as “the perpendicular force per unit area, or the stress at a point within a confined fluid.”
Within the International System of Units (SI), it is Pascals (Pa) that are the standard unit of pressure. This metric unit is defined as one Newton of force applied over one square metre.
However, as we touched on above, engineers in the UK can expect to come across both metric and imperial systems. So, they also need to understand the following common units:
- Bar (bar), which is a metric unit of pressure defined as exactly 100,000 Pascals (Pa), or 100 kilopascals (kPa). Although Bar isn’t part of the SI system, it sees widespread use in European industrial applications, as well as weather forecasting.
- Pounds per square inch (PSI), which defines pressure as the force of one pound exerted perpendicularly over a single square inch of area. Many people in the UK are familiar with PSI’s use for tyre pressure, in addition to various industrial and technical applications. One PSI is approximately 6,895 Pascals.
- Atmosphere (atm) represents the approximate average atmospheric pressure at mean sea level. Frequently used in diving and scientific contexts, it is defined as 101,325 Pascals or 1.01325 bar.
- Torr (Torr) has historically been used for vacuums and medical applications. 1 Torr is roughly equal to 133.32 Pascals, and it is defined as exactly 1/760th of a standard atmosphere (atm).
Essential Pressure Conversions at a Glance
Here are some other key pressure-unit conversions that engineers in the UK should memorise or be able to quickly access:
- 1 bar is approximately equal to 14.5038 PSI
- 1 PSI is roughly equal to 0.068947 bar
- 1 kPa is exactly equal to 1,000 Pa
Knowing conversions like these can be paramount when it comes to specifying components like pressure gauges, regulators, or sensors.
Don’t forget that you always have the option to simply complex units using the engineering pressure conversion calculator on the website of RS, the electrical component supplier.
Moving From Pressure to Power
Across a range of engineering systems, pressure is the catalyst for generating power, which in the UK, is primarily measured in watts (W) or horsepower (hp).
Power, too, has several units that engineers might encounter. So, they should be well-versed in such common conversions as:
- 1 kilowatt (kW) is equal to 1,000 W
- 1 hp is approximately equal to 0.7457 kW
- 1 British Thermal Unit per hour (1 BTU/hour) is approximately equal to 0.000293 kW.
The Right Digital Tools Can Greatly Help You Get Conversions Done
The RS website and other online sources provide further calculators, such as for converting horsepower to kilowatts. Such tools help ensure quick, accurate, and seamless conversions between the various power units, spanning both imperial and metric systems.
Bookmarking some of these digital calculators can put you in good stead for your future projects that require you to specify a system or verify data. It will help you to work faster, smarter, and with greater confidence.
