Volume Flow Rate
- The volume of fluid that flows past a given cross sectional area per second.
Definition: Volume Flow Rate (SI: m3/s)
Other Common Units:
liter/s = 103 cm3/s = 10-3 m3/s
gal/s = 3.788 l/s = .003788 m3/s
cubic feet/min = 4.719x10-4 m3/s
- Since we have no fixed mass to define as the system of focus in fluid flow problems, the flow of a small volume of the fluid can be used as useful concept to focus on as it move around in space.
- If the fluid is incompressible, i.e. its density does not change as the substance flows along, then the volume flow rate follows a conservation of volume - the volume that flows in must flow out.
Derivation for Flow in a Pipe:
A = Cross-sectional Area of Pipe (SI: m2)
v = Velocity of the fluid in the pipe (SI: m/s)
