megawattimme

Megawattimme (MWi) is a nonstandard, fictional term used in speculative discussions and some science fiction works to denote a unit of energy tied to a one-minute interval at a nominal power of one megawatt. In this usage, the energy content corresponds to one megawatt delivered for one minute.

The term has no formal origin in engineering practice and is not recognized by the International System of Units (SI). It appears sporadically in theoretical exercises, educational demonstrations, or fictional worlds as a convenient shorthand for short-duration energy output, often contrasting with standard measures such as kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh).

If defined as one megawatt sustained for one minute, 1 MWi equals 1 MW × 1/60 hour = 1/60 MWh, approximately 0.0167 MWh or about 16.7 kWh. Consequently, a device rated at, say, 50 MWi would be able to deliver about 50 × 16.7 kWh = 833 kWh of energy in a one-minute interval under that definition.

Usage remains confined to fictional contexts or simple thought experiments; in practical engineering and policy work, quantities are normally expressed in standard energy units (kWh, MWh) or in power with time explicitly stated (MW for a given duration).

See also: Megawatt, Megawatt-hour, energy, power.