Established in 1984, Mistral is proud to be widely considered the 'generic' software system provider for the refrigeration & air conditioning industry. In its domestic market, Mistral software is used by more than 85% of refrigeration & air conditioning contracting firms and programs have been distributed to over 25,000 users in over 140 countries around the world.

What is a 'Ton of Refrigeration' (TR)?

A Ton of Refrigeration (commonly abbreviated as TR) is a unit of power used in some countries (especially in North America) to describe the heat extraction capacity of refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. It is defined as the latent heat absorbed by melting a short ton* of pure ice at 0°C (32°F) in 24 hours. It is equivalent to a mechanical system that consumes (or melts) one short ton of ice per day. The term originated during the transition from stored natural ice to mechanical refrigeration at the end of the 19th century.

A Refrigeration Ton is approximately equivalent to 12,000 Btu per hour¹ or 3,517 Watts.

Air conditioning and refrigeration equipment capacity in the USA is often specified in 'Tons' (of refrigeration). Many manufacturers in the USA also specify capacity in Btu/hr¹, especially when specifying the performance of smaller equipment.

* Short ton = 2,000 pounds (907.18474 kg).
¹ British Thermal Units per hour.

Mistral's commitment:
Bringing the benefits of computerisation to our industry - without the historically associated problems.

• 'Corporate Licence' - The RAC industry's best value Expert System Software Package.
• Back to Useful RAC Engineering Facts and Data