HomeCalculatorsCargo Heating Duty (Q = U·A·ΔT)

Cargo Heating Duty (Q = U·A·ΔT)

Heat duty to hold tank cargo at setpoint - steady-state loss through tank walls only.

TankerHeating

Overall U-valueW/(m²·K)Uncoated side shell 3–5; insulated side shell 1–2; tank deck 3–6.Tank wetted-wall aream²Cargo setpoint°CSea / ambient T°C

ΔT

40.0K

Heat duty

80.0kW

Formula, assumptions, and limits

$$Q = U \cdot A \cdot \Delta T$$

Steady-state hold-warm duty. Add transient ramp-up power (m·cp·ΔT / time) when loading cold cargo. Heating coils typical: bitumen 60–90 kW/100 m² hold; palm oil 20–40 kW; IFO 25–50 kW.

Symbol legend

Symbol	Meaning	Unit	Source
$U$	Overall heat-transfer coefficient	W/(m²·K)	tank design
$A$	Heat-transfer surface area	m²	tank geometry
$ΔT$	Cargo − sea/ambient	K	setpoint vs voyage

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