The volumetric flow rate, often denoted by , is a measure of the volume of fluid (liquid or gas) that passes through a given cross-sectional area per unit time. In the International System of Units (SI), the unit of volumetric flow rate is cubic meters per second , although other units such as liters per second () or cubic feet per second are also commonly used depending on the context. The formula to calculate volumetric flow rate depends on the type of flow. For steady, incompressible flow through a pipe with uniform cross-sectional area, the formula is:
Where:
- is the volumetric flow rate.
- is the cross-sectional area of the pipe..
- is the average flow velocity of the fluid.