This calculator, performing the conversion by multiplying the engine power expressed in kW by a factor of 1.3596 (that is, using a conversion factor of 1 hp = 1.35962 kW), converts horsepower in the car to power expressed in kW, using generally accepted coefficient.
How many kilowatts are in one horsepower and vice versa?
- 1 kW = 1.3596 hp (for metric calculus);
- 1 kW = 1.3783 hp (English standard);
- 1 kW = 1.34048 hp (electric “horse”).
As you can see, there are several units of measurement called " horsepower", but, as a rule, we mean the so-called "metric horsepower", which is equal to ≈0.7354 kW. But in the USA and Great Britain, horsepower in cars is equal to 0.7456 kW, that is, 75 kgf m/s, which is approximately 1.0138 metric. If we convert the power of 1 horsepower to kilowatts in industry or energy, then ≈0.746. Therefore, for the accuracy of the result, before using our kW to hp power converter, decide which standard of horses you need to choose.
How to use a kW to hp power converter
- To convert “horsepower to kilowatts” or vice versa, you first need to choose one of three standards.
- Then select the unit to convert to kW/W or HP.
- Enter a value in the field you want to convert.
Why you can use an online horsepower converter
This calculator for converting power units in the international number system to the one used in the CIS and Russian standards will help not only find out how much HP. 1 kW, but also to correctly convert kilowatts into horsepower, which are used in various documentation, including for calculating transport tax and compulsory motor liability insurance.
All car owners have heard about the presence of such a parameter as horsepower in a car, saw their value in the STS and were faced with calculating the amount of compulsory motor liability insurance and transport tax based on this indicator, but only a few know in more detail about this indicator, what it means and what it is connected with .
Horsepower (Russian: hp, English: hp, German: PS, French: CV) is an off-system unit of power first described by James Watt of Scotland in the 17th century.
He developed the first steam installation and, to demonstrate that his apparatus was capable of replacing more than one horse, he introduced such a parameter as horsepower.
According to the inventor's observations, an ordinary horse is capable of lifting luggage weighing about 75 kg from a shaft for a long period of time at a constant speed of 1 m/s.
He calculated the hp figure. like a load weighing 250 kilograms, which can lift a horse to a height of 30 centimeters in 1 second, that is, 1 hp = 75 kgm/s or 735.499 watts.
Due to the fact that such measurements can produce very different results, many types of horsepower have come into use (electrical, metric, boiler, mechanical, etc.).
In 1882, at one of the congresses of the English Association of Engineers, it was decided to create a new unit for measuring power, and it was given a name in honor of the inventor - watt (W, W).
Up to this point, most calculations were carried out using the indicator introduced by the Scottish inventor D. Watt - horsepower.
How are HP measured? in Russia and other countries
At the moment, there are several types of units with this name all over the world.
Main varieties:
- metric equal to 735.4988 W;
- mechanical, equal to 745.699871582 W;
- indicator, equal to 745.6998715822 W;
- electric, equal to 746 W;
- boiler equal to 9809.5 W.
The official international unit for calculating power is the Watt.
In many European countries, the so-called “metric” horsepower is used, calculated as the power spent on lifting an object weighing 75 kg at the same speed with a standard acceleration g = 9.80665 m/s².
Its value is considered equal to 75 kgf m/s or 735.49875 W.
In the UK and the United States of America, in the auto industry, horsepower is considered to be equal to 745.6998815 W or 1.0138696789 metric units. In America, in addition to metric, boiler and electric varieties of l are used. With.
On at the moment In the Russian Federation, the term “horsepower” is nominally withdrawn from official circulation, although it is used to calculate transport tax and compulsory motor liability insurance. In Russia, this indicator is understood as the metric variety.
Reference. To calculate the power of an internal combustion engine in watts, a metric value is used: 1 kW = 1.3596 hp. or 1 hp = 0.73549875 kW.
Engine power
To measure the power of internal combustion engines of vehicles, not only various indicators are used, but also measurement techniques that produce different results from each other.
In Europe, the standardized unit of power measurement method is the kilowatt. When specifying horsepower, the way it is measured in different parts of the world can vary markedly, even if the original value is the same.
The USA and Japan use their own methods for calculating the HP of internal combustion engines, but they have long been almost completely brought to the generally accepted standard.
These countries use two variations of indicators:
- Net measurement, which involves testing on a specialized stand equipped with all additional components used in the operation of vehicles (generator, exhaust system, fan, etc.).
- Gross measurement, which involves testing the engine on a stand without additional components used during vehicle operation (cooling system pump, fan, generator, etc.). The indicators obtained using this technique are higher than the real ones produced by cars during their operation, higher by up to 20-25%, which at one time some automakers from the USA actively used, purposefully inflating the power parameters of their products. This situation was corrected in 1972 with the adoption of a common standard.
Automobile manufacturers of internal combustion engines measure power indicators using the type of fuel for which the engine was designed.
For example, the engine is designed to run on 95 gasoline, then it will show the power declared by the manufacturer on the appropriate fuel and is unlikely to be bottled in Russia. And in Japanese industries that produce internal combustion engines, tests and power measurements are carried out using fuel with the maximum octane number available for Japan, that is, not lower than AI-100.
An example of calculating HP in Watts and Kilowatts
It is easy to independently convert horsepower into watts using a certain formula and a fixed value that reflects the number of watts per power.
For example, the documents for the car state that its engine power is 107 hp.
Knowing that 1 hp = 0.73549875 kW or 1 hp = 735.498, we calculate:
P=107*hp=107*0.73549875=78.69 kW or P=107*735.498=78698.29 W
How to quickly convert horsepower to kilowatts - online calculators
Despite the simplicity of converting horsepower to watts, sometimes such information may be urgently needed, but you don’t have a calculator at hand or you’re running out of time.
In such cases, you can resort to calculations using online calculators.
Some of them can be used directly in the Yandex search engine.
- http://ru.woodmizer-planet.com/kvt.pl
- http://www.vcm.by/kvtvls.pl
Despite the fact that horsepower is a parameter not related to the international system of units, and is currently used occasionally in some countries, its value still invariably accompanies any car owner.
It is equal to a certain number of watts, based on the type of hp. to calculate the power of an internal combustion engine in kW, the metric version of this indicator is used, equal to 1 hp = 0.73549875.
Horsepower is a unit of measurement that does not have a single standard in the world, although most countries adhere to one numerical value. Horsepower is not included in the generally accepted International System of Measurement, and its official use has been canceled in Russia. Meanwhile, this measure is used not only in everyday life, but also at the state level.
What is measured in horsepower?
Horsepower is the amount of mechanical work that is performed in a certain period of time. The most common indicator is kilograms per meter per second. Used mainly in relation to vehicles and some other mechanisms.
In Russia, transport tax is calculated per horsepower, and in documents for vehicles equipped with an engine, this unit of measurement is often used to indicate its power.
What is horsepower
This measure was introduced at the end of the 18th century in England. Technological progress and the widespread use of steam engines have revealed the need for a general standard for determining their performance.
Using the method of practical measurements made during work performed by a live horse under certain conditions, I calculated that in 1 second, 1 horse is capable of moving a load weighing 75 kg over a distance of 1 meter - this figure was taken as one horsepower.
Standard power units
In the International System of Measurement, the official unit for determining power is the Watt (1 kilowatt = 1000 watts). This measure will be the same throughout the world.
Watts measure power as the rate of energy transferred or as the amount of work produced over a certain period of time.
In connection with a single global standard, many manufacturers of cars, as well as other vehicles and mechanisms, indicate engine power in watts in equipment documents. However, in our country, each horsepower in a car affects the amount of transport tax, so it is more convenient to know the power level of your car’s engine in these units.
Metric horsepower
The world's most common calculation of horsepower (hp) is in the metric system. For calculations, kilogram weights of the load are used, and the distance over which it is moved is measured in meters.
In this case, one horsepower is equal to 735.49875 watts, which is equivalent to 0.74 kW.
One kilowatt will be equal to 1.36 liters. With.
Horsepower table
Knowing the calculation formula, you can easily convert digital indicators from one unit of measurement to another, but if you don’t want to do calculations, you can use a comparison table. The numbers below are based on the metric measurement system.
Differences between horsepower calculations in America and Great Britain
Due to the use in a number of countries, for example in the USA and Great Britain, of feet and pounds as measures of length and weight, their calculation of horsepower will differ from that accepted in most of the world's countries, including Russia.
IN traditional system In these countries' measurements, one horsepower would be equal to 745.6999 watts (0.746 kW) and would be 1.014 of a metric horsepower. Given equal values in a given unit of measurement, the engine of cars rated using feet and pounds will be more powerful in actual operation.
However, in most cases, the engine power in the accompanying documents is indicated in kW, so it can be recalculated using the standard formula.
Often real power indicators differ from factory parameters and it makes sense to take real measurements:
- putting the car on a dyno - the most accurate type of diagnosis;
- by installing additional electronic equipment into it (which is only advisable for vehicles that need constant monitoring of this indicator, since maintenance and purchase of special equipment will not be cheap);
- or by checking using an application downloaded to a laptop, which is connected to the car via a cable and takes measurements during test drives.
Features of determining gross and net engine power
Thanks to a unique system for measuring engine power, used in factories producing vehicles in Japan and some owned by the United States, the amount of horsepower in the cars they produced differed from the actual one during operation.
The point is the so-called net power and gross power. When measuring the first indicator, the energy consumption for the operation of associated units is taken into account - the cooling system, generator, drive belts. Their influence is not taken into account in gross power calculations. Therefore, real indicators at in different ways measurements may differ significantly - by 10-25 percent.
Cars whose documents indicate engine power based on the gross indicator will be weaker than cars with identical digital net measurement values.
Since in Russia the amount of horsepower in vehicle depends on the amount of tax paid for it, it is better to find out the real performance of the engine in order to avoid overpayment, which in certain cases can be very significant. Especially if you have to not only add non-existent horsepower to pay at an identical tariff, but also multiply their total quantity by an increased rate (this can happen if the theoretical and actual indicators are in different price groups for calculating transport payments, for example, according to documents 155 hp, but in fact less than 150, etc.).
Horsepower is a non-systemic unit of power measurement that has officially been phased out in Russia, but is still used, for example, in the automotive industry.
Perhaps many of us, when representing horsepower, use approximately the following analogy: if a car with a power of 100 hp. tie a rope, at the other end of which there will be a herd of 100 horses, then, having started moving in opposite directions, they will not be able to move. And this is not entirely true. In practice, the horses will most likely win and simply destroy the car's transmission at the start. The fact is that engine power in horsepower is a nominal value. To convert the engine's potential energy into kinetic energy, it is necessary to develop a certain crankshaft speed and transmit the required torque to the wheels. In addition, horsepower is a relatively strictly established value, and the capabilities of horses can vary greatly and differ from this parameter.
The unit of power is horsepower and its relationship to watts.
The term “horsepower” was first used by the famous English (Scottish) mechanic-inventor James Watt. This idea came to him while he was observing work in coal mines, where horses were used to lift rock to the surface of the earth. Having looked at the process from the point of view of physics, the scientist determined that the horse has some power, which can be calculated by the ratio of work performed to time. The basis was the mass of coal lifted from a depth of 30 meters in one minute. It turned out 150 kg/1 m - he determined this value to be equal to 1 hp (HP - horse power). Later, in 1882, The British Organization of Engineers introduced the watt, a unit of measurement equal to 0.736 hp.
By the way, a subsequent recalculation of the indicators calculated by Watt showed that in reality not a single horse is capable of developing sufficient power to vertically lift 150 kg of load at a speed of 1 m/s. Moreover, in the mines where Watt carried out his calculations, ponies were used for work. It is believed that he calculated the output of one horse per minute using the foot-pound ratio and increased this figure by 50%. According to one version, the inventor deliberately equalized the power of his engine with the power of a horse in order to demonstrate the greater productivity of the unit in order to sell it.
How to convert watts to horsepower
In 1784, James Watt introduced the first steam engine to the public. To measure the power of the unit he invented and designed, Watt introduced the term “horsepower,” which he had previously developed.
The further development of mechanics gave rise to a whole series of similar “horsepowers”, denoting different values. The presence of several units of the same name leads to the need to transfer power between different measuring systems. In 1960, the international SI system established the watt as the official unit of power. Despite this, horsepower is still used in some applications, particularly in the automobile industry.
To carry out the transfer of 1 hp. in watts, you need to multiply the power indicator by 736: 1 hp. =736 W. Accordingly, the reverse translation is made by dividing the value by the same number. Examples:
- 5 hp = 3.68 kW;
- 10 kW = 13.57 hp
But not everything is so simple! Therefore, we read the text below under the video, which can also be useful for understanding the basic physical quantities of an electrician.
Such different standards
After Watt defined a new unit of measurement, their “horsepower” appeared not only in different measurement systems, but also in individual countries. Today this unit is not officially recognized, but is used in 4 different versions:
- Metric horsepower (used in Russia). Equal to the power required to lift a 75 kg load at a speed of 1 m/s. To convert to watts, multiply by 735.5. Example: 2 HP = 1471 W.
- Electric horsepower. Used in electromechanics and electrical engineering. To convert watts to this unit, you need to divide them by 746. For example, 4000 W (4 kilowatts) = 5.362 el. hp
- Mechanical HP Corresponds to the values of the English system of measures. One fur. l. With. equal to 745.7 W (1.014 metric hp).
- Boiler horsepower. Used in industrial and energy sectors. To convert to kilowatts, the following ratio is used: 1 k. hp. = 9.809 kW.
The tradition of using horsepower in the automotive industry is associated with convenience - this value is characteristic and always understandable even to those who are far from the intricacies of auto mechanics. Much more people will be able to figure out what a car with a declared power of 150 hp is capable of, but 110.33 kilowatts will mislead the majority. Although in reality they are the same thing.
The term "horsepower" was invented by engineer James Watt. Watt lived from 1736 to 1819 and is one of the most famous and honored scientists for his work in improving the efficiency of steam engines. We also say his last name almost every day when we talk about 60-watt light bulbs.
The story goes that Watt worked in a coal mine where the coal was lifted out of the shaft using ponies. Watt wanted to find a way to validate and talk about the power produced by this animal. He found that the average pony could do 22,000 foot-pounds of work in one minute. He then increased that number by 50 percent and tied the measurement of one horsepower to 33,000 foot-pounds of work in one minute. This arbitrary unit of measurement has made its way through the centuries and is now used to measure the performance of your car, lawn mower, chain saw, and even in some cases, vacuum cleaner.
To put it simply, horsepower is measured as follows: According to Watt's measurements, one horse can do 33,000 foot-pounds of work every minute. So, imagine a horse lifting coal from a coal mine, as shown in the picture. A horse with one horsepower can lift 330 pounds (~150 kg) of coal 100 feet (30.5 meters) every minute, or 33 pounds (15 kg) of coal 1000 feet (305 meters) per minute - You can create any combination of weight and height for a time that you like. While 33,000 ft-lbs per minute of work is being done, you have exactly one horsepower.
You might try a combination such as, for example, loading 33,000 pounds (15 tons) of coal into a huge container and asking a horse to lift it 1 foot (30 centimeters) per minute, only to find that the horse physically cannot. move from place with such weight. You can probably also imagine putting 1 pound (450 grams) of coal in a bucket and asking a horse to lift it 33,000 feet (about 838 meters) per minute, thus achieving a speed of 1183 km/h, and the horse , of course, will not be able to develop such speed. However, if you have read Archimedes, and simply if you are over 10-12 years old, then you know what a lever is and that you can easily change the ratio of mass and speed using a lever. So you can create a block and solve a system that doesn't put a comfortable amount of weight on the horse or doesn't allow the horse to move at a comfortable speed, no matter how much weight you actually need to move.
Now you and I know what James Watt meant by horsepower. However, today power is measured in a slightly different way and can be converted into other units. Moreover, in Russia the term “horsepower” is officially used only when calculating transport tax, while in other areas the official unit of measurement is considered to be Watts. Today there is also a metric measurement of horsepower - without going into details, it is equal to about 735.5 Watts, or 75 kgf m/s (the work that is done when lifting a load weighing 75 kg to a height of 1 meter in 1 second, and that’s all this is taking into account the earthly value of the acceleration of gravity).
Now a little about the practice of using the term "horsepower" and the overall performance of the car.
A car is considered "highly efficient" if it has more power under the hood relative to total mass car. This makes sense, because the less weight you have, the more power you will have to accelerate the car. For a given amount of energy, you want to minimize weight to maximize acceleration.
The following table shows the horsepower-to-weight ratios of several of the most famous performance cars. You already understand that the higher the power-to-weight ratio, the better, and you will see that this does not always directly affect the price of the car.
|
Power (hp) |
Gross weight(kg) |
Power/weight ratio |
Acceleration 0-100 km/h(sec) |
Price |
|
|
Dodge Viper |
450 |
3 320 |
0.136 |
4.1 |
$66 000 |
|
Ferrari 355 F1 |
375 |
2 975 |
0.126 |
4.6 |
$134 000 |
|
Shelby Series 1 |
320 |
2 650 |
0.121 |
4.4 |
$108 000 |
|
Lotus Esprit V8 |
350 |
3 045 |
0.115 |
4.4 |
$83 000 |
|
Chevrolet Corvette |
345 |
3 245 |
0.106 |
4.8 |
$42 000 |
|
Porsche Carrera |
300 |
2 900 |
0.103 |
5.0 |
$70,000 |
|
Mitsubishi 3000GT |
320 |
3 740 |
0.086 |
5.8 |
$45,000 |
|
Ford Escort |
110 |
2 470 |
0.045 |
10.9 |
$12 000 |
|
Lada Kalina (Norma 1.6) |
81 |
1 555 |
0.052 |
13.3 |
RUB 335,000 |
|
UAZ Patriot (Welcome 2.7) |
128 |
2 650 |
0.048 |
19 |
580,000 rubles |
You can see a very definite correlation between power to weight ratio and acceleration time in most cases, a higher ratio indicating a faster car. Interestingly, there is significantly less correlation between speed and price. This is explained by a huge number of factors, ranging from the car brand to the specific specification.
If you want a fast car, you need a good power-to-weight ratio.
