Undersizing a heating system lengthens the time needed to reach temperature; oversizing it is simply wasteful. Before fitting a tank, drum or jerrycan with a heating system, it is therefore essential to know the power actually required to reach the desired temperature within the desired time. This tool lets you estimate this theoretical power for a static product (with no change of state and no agitation), based on the material to be heated, its mass, and the temperature range required.
Calculate the required heating power
Enter the material, its mass, the starting and target temperatures, and the desired heating time.
Please fill in all fields with valid values (time > 0, final temperature higher than the initial one).
20% safety margin included in this result.
This calculation estimates the theoretical power required to heat the material alone (formula Q = m × c × ΔT), with a 20% safety margin included in the result. It does not account for the thermal losses of the installation, the insulation of the tank, or losses related to the heating method. This result is provided as an indicative pre-estimate; for precise sizing, please contact our technical team.
An agitator helps speed up the temperature rise
The calculation above assumes a static, unagitated product. In this configuration, heat spreads mainly by conduction: the product stratifies and a hotter layer builds up along the heated wall, progressively reducing heat transfer to the rest of the volume.
By keeping the product in motion, an agitator continuously renews the liquid in contact with the heat source and helps significantly speed up the temperature rise. Commonly observed gains are in the region of 25 to 30%, though this figure remains indicative: it depends on the viscosity of the product, the geometry of the tank and the type of impeller used.
Agitation also helps even out the temperature throughout the volume and limit localised overheating near the wall — a point worth considering for heat-sensitive products.