A Ton of refrigeration (abbreviated TR or ton‑ref) is a legacy unit that represents the rate of heat removal required to melt one ton (2000 lb) of ice at 0 °C in 24 hours. In SI terms this is equivalent to 3.51685 kW of cooling power.
Understanding Kilowatt (kW)
The kilowatt (kW) is the SI unit of power, equal to 1 000 joules per second. It is widely used in engineering to quantify both electrical and thermal power.
Why Convert?
Many HVAC and refrigeration specifications are still published in TR, while modern design tools and energy‑efficiency calculations use kW. Converting ensures consistent sizing of compressors, chillers, and heat‑pump systems.
The conversion factor is straightforward:
\\(1\\,\\text{TR}=3.51685\\,\\text{kW}\\)
\\(1\\,\\text{kW}=0.284345\\,\\text{TR}\\)
Ton of refrigeration to Kilowatt Conversion Reference Table
A Ton of refrigeration equals the amount of heat needed to melt one short ton (2000 lb) of ice at 0 °C over a 24‑hour period. This corresponds to a continuous cooling capacity of 3.51685 kW (≈12 000 BTU/h).
The factor 3.51685 kW per TR is derived from the exact latent heat of fusion of ice (334 kJ/kg) and the definition of a short ton. It is accurate to five significant figures and is the standard used in most engineering references.
"On fait la science avec des faits, comme on fait une maison avec des pierres ; mais une accumulation de faits n'est pas plus une science qu'un tas de pierres n'est une maison." "Science is built up of facts, as a house is built of stones; but an accumulation of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house." — Henri Poincaré (French Mathematician, Theoretical Physicist & Mining Engineer)