Ton of Refrigeration Conversion

Converts cooling capacity between tons and BTU/hr. One ton originally described the heat transfer rate to melt one ton of ice over 24 hours, anchoring refrigeration to phase change.

$$1\text{ton}=12,000\text{BTU/hr}$$

Variables

Symbol	Meaning	Unit
$1\text{ton}$	One ton of refrigeration	ton
12{,}000	Equivalent heat transfer rate	BTU/hr

Worked example

A 100 ton chiller rejects 100 x 12,000 = 1,200,000 BTU/hr.

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Part of The Blueprint of Water