Volume
Flow
What it is
Volume flow is volume per unit time. Ordinary water and gas pump meters measure
volume flow and integrate ( total) the flow over time to get an indication in
volume. This means that when we purchase gas on hot days, we get a little less
gas in terms of mass, as masses tend to occupy more volume when they are hot.
Mass flow rather than volume flow meters are used in applications where mass
rather than volume is critical. ( Such as in chemical process control.)
History
In 1738 Daniel Bernoulli (1700-1782) publishes a landmark paper "Hydrodynamica",
which examined the properties of fluid flow, pressure, density, and velocity.
Common equations
volume flow = volume / time
Units
gallons per minute
liters per second
milli-liters per hour
ft^3 per minute
acre-feet per year
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