Scoville scale Scoville scale The Scoville scale is a measurement of the pungency (spiciness or "heat") of chili peppers and other spicy foods, as recorded in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) based on the concentration of capsaicinoids, among which capsaicin is the predominant component. The scale is named after its creator, American pharmacist Wilbur Scoville, whose 1912 method is known as the Scoville organoleptic test. In the 21st century, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is used to quantify the capsaicinoid content as an indicator of pungency. The most expedient method for estimating SHU is a subjective assessment derived from the capsaicinoid sensitivity by people
Heat rate (efficiency) Heat rate (efficiency) Heat rate is a term commonly used in power stations to indicate the power plant efficiency. The heat rate is the inverse of the efficiency: a lower heat rate is better. formula_1 While efficiency is a dimensionless measure (sometimes quoted in %) heat rate is typically expressed as Btu/kWh. This is because Watt-hours are more commonly used when referring to electrical energy and Btu is more commonly used when referring to thermal energy. Heat rate in the context of power plants can be thought of as the input needed to produce one unit of output. It generally