745.699872
W
1
hp
0.7457
kW
2,544.097388
BTU/h
745.699872
W
1
hp
0.7457
kW
2,544.097388
BTU/h
The Foot-Pounds per Minute to Watts Converter converts mechanical power from foot-pounds per minute (ft·lbf/min) to watts (W) and horsepower (HP) using the conversion factor 1 ft·lbf/min = 0.022597 W. This unit is historically significant as it forms the basis of the horsepower definition: 1 HP = 33,000 ft·lbf/min.
Foot-pounds per minute is a unit of mechanical power in the imperial system. It represents the rate of doing work — specifically, the power required to move a force of one pound-force through one foot of distance in one minute. While rarely used in modern everyday contexts, it appears in mechanical engineering textbooks, dynamometer testing, and industrial machinery specifications.
The connection to horsepower is direct and historical. When James Watt created the horsepower unit in the 1780s, he defined it as a horse capable of doing 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute. This means 1 HP = 33,000 ft·lbf/min exactly. Our converter uses this relationship to provide both watt and horsepower output.
The watt conversion factor (0.022597) is derived from: 1 ft·lbf = 1.355818 J, so 1 ft·lbf/min = 1.355818/60 = 0.022597 W. For practical power measurements, values in ft·lbf/min are typically large numbers (thousands to millions), making watts and horsepower more convenient for communication.
This converter is useful for engineers working with torque and speed data. Mechanical power equals torque times angular speed, and when torque is in ft·lbf and speed is in RPM, the formula Power (ft·lbf/min) = Torque (ft·lbf) × 2π × RPM directly gives power in ft·lbf/min, which can then be converted to watts or HP.
The formulas: watts = ft·lbf/min × 0.022597, HP = ft·lbf/min ÷ 33,000. The watt conversion derives from 1 ft·lbf = 1.355818 J and 1 min = 60 s. The HP conversion is exact by definition.
Context: 33,000 ft·lbf/min = 1 HP = 745.7 W. A motor producing 100 ft·lbf of torque at 1000 RPM generates 100 × 2π × 1000 ≈ 628,318 ft·lbf/min ≈ 19.04 HP ≈ 14,197 W.
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33,000 ft·lbf/min = 1 HP exactly
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5,000 ft·lbf/min ≈ 113 W ≈ 0.15 HP
1 ft·lbf/min = 0.022597 watts. This comes from 1 ft·lbf = 1.3558 J divided by 60 seconds.
1 HP = 33,000 ft·lbf/min exactly. This was James Watt's original definition of horsepower.
Power (ft·lbf/min) = Torque (ft·lbf) × 2π × RPM. To convert to HP: Power (HP) = Torque × RPM ÷ 5252.
James Watt estimated a horse could push 180 lbs with a force of 180 lbf while walking 181 ft/min around a mill. He rounded to 33,000 ft·lbf/min as a convenient number.
Rarely in practice, but it appears in engineering education and is the fundamental definition of horsepower. Most engineers convert directly between HP and watts.
Divide ft·lbf/min by 60 to get ft·lbf/s. So 1 HP = 33,000 ft·lbf/min = 550 ft·lbf/s.
ft·lbf/min is a power unit (work per time), while ft·lbf alone is torque (force × distance). Power = torque × angular velocity.
Dynamometers typically measure torque (ft·lbf) and speed (RPM). Power in ft·lbf/min = torque × 2π × RPM. Most displays convert directly to HP or kW.
1 ft·lbf/s = 1.355818 W. This is simply the conversion of 1 foot-pound of work to joules.
A 1 HP motor: 33,000. A 10 HP motor: 330,000. A 100 HP engine: 3,300,000. Human sustained effort: about 2,500 ft·lbf/min (0.076 HP).
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