What is CFM?
CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) is a common unit for measuring air flow. It is commonly used in gas handling, air compressor, HVAC system and other fields to describe the size of air flow in a certain period of time.
CFM refers to the volume of air flowing through a cross-section of 1 foot x 1 foot in one minute, that is, CFM is the volume unit of air flow. It is worth noting that CFM is measured under actual temperature and pressure conditions.
The opposite of CFM is SCFM (Standard Cubic Feet per Minute).
SCFM vs CFM: SCFM is measured under standard conditions. It is mainly used in research fields and comparisons between different products.
The standard ambient temperature range for calculating SCFM flow rate is 60โย (15โ) to 68โ(20โ), sea level pressure is 14.7 psi (760 mmHg), and relative humidity is about 36%.
What is m3/hr?
The m3/hr(cubic metre per hour)ย is also a unit for measuring the flow of fluid in a certain period of time. Cubic meter is a metric unit used to express the volume of space. Cubic meter per hour refers to the volume of air that flows through a cross-section of 1 meter x 1 meter in one hour. The symbol is “m3/hr” or “m3/h”.
Other common units for expressing fluid volume flow are liters per second, barrels per hour, cubic inches per minute, standard cubic meters per hour, and gallons per minute. Barrels per hour (bbl/h) represents the volume of oil barrels flowing per hour and is mainly used in the oil and gas industry.
Standard cubic meters per hour (Nmยณ/h) represents the gas flow under standard conditions obtained by flow metering. It needs to be used with pressure and temperature compensation. You can see it in the field of air treatment and some scientific research fields.
CFM to m3/hr conversion
The cubic feet in CFM belongs to the imperial units. Its conversion to the metric unit cubic meter is 1 cubic foot = 0.028316846711688 cubic meter, which means there are 35.314666572222 cubic feet in 1 cubic meter.
By shortening the numbers after the decimal point above, we can calculate 1 CFM (cubic foot per minute) to m3/min (cubic metre per minute) = 0.02832 m3/min (cubic metre per minute).
Now let’s convert two time units:ย โhr (hour)โย and โmin (minute)โ. We all know that 1 hour = 60 minutes. So the conversion formula ofย m3/hr to m3/min is:ย 1m3/hr = (1รท60)m3/min = 0.01667m3/min.
Now everything is clear. The CFM to m3/hr conversion is:ย 1 CFM (cubic foot per minute) to m3/hr (cubic metre per hour) = 0.02832 m3/min * 60 = 1.699 m3/hr (cubic metre per hour).
>>Convert cfm to cubic metre/hour – Conversion of Measurement Units
Conversion between CFM and other units
CFM to L/min (liters per minute):
1 cubic meter = 1000 liters
1 liter = 0.001 cubic meter
So 1 L/min = 0.001 m3/min = 0.03531 CFM. 1 CFM to liters per minute = (1รท0.03531) = 28.32 L/min.
CFM to GPM (gallons per minute):
1 cubic meter = 264.17 gallons
1 gallon = 0.00379 cubic meters
So 1 gal/min = 0.00379 m3/min = 0.13368 CFM. 1 CFM to liters per minute = (1รท0.13368) = 7.481 gal/min.
CFM conversion chart
CFM to m3/hr converter table for reference and quick conversion. Other common gas volume measurements also included, such as liters per second, inches per minute, and gallons per minute.
If aย certainย value is needed that is not listed, simply multiplyย it byย the numbers in the first rowย to get the exact answer.
| CFM | m3/hr | m3/min | L/S | L/min | In3/min | GPS | GPM |
| 1 CFM | 1.699 m3/hr | 0.02832 m3/min | 0.4719 L/S | 28.32 L/min | 1728 In3/min | 0.1247 gal/s | 7.481 gal/min |
| 5 CFM | 8.495 m3/hr | 0.1416 m3/min | 2.3595 L/S | 141.6 L/min | 8640 In3/min | 0.6235 gal/s | 37.405 gal/min |
| 10 CFM | 84.95 m3/hr | 0.2832 m3/min | 4.719 L/S | 283.2 L/min | 17280 In3/min | 1.247 gal/s | 74.81 gal/min |
| 15 CFM | 25.485 m3/hr | 0.4248 m3/min | 7.0785 L/S | 424.8 L/min | 25920 In3/min | 1.8705 gal/s | 112.215 gal/min |
| 20 CFM | 33.98 m3/hr | 0.5664 m3/min | 9.438 L/S | 566.4 L/min | 34560 In3/min | 2.494 gal/s | 149.62 gal/min |
| 30 CFM | 50.97 m3/hr | 0.8496 m3/min | 14.157 L/S | 849.6 L/min | 51840 In3/min | 3.741 gal/s | 224.43 gal/min |
| 50 CFM | 84.95 m3/hr | 1.416 m3/min | 23.595 L/S | 1416 L/min | 86400 In3/min | 6.235 gal/s | 374.05 gal/min |
| 90 CFM | 152.91 m3/hr | 2.5488 m3/min | 42.471 L/S | 2548.8 L/min | 155520 In3/min | 11.223 gal/s | 673.29 gal/min |
| 100 CFM | 169.9 m3/hr | 2.832 m3/min | 47.19 L/S | 2832 L/min | 172800 In3/min | 12.47 gal/s | 748.1 gal/min |
| 185 CFM | 314.315 m3/hr | 5.2392 m3/min | 87.3015 L/S | 5239.2 L/min | 319680 In3/min | 23.0695 gal/s | 1383.985 gal/min |
| 250 CFM | 424.75 m3/hr | 7.08 m3/min | 117.975 L/S | 7080 L/min | 432000 In3/min | 31.175 gal/s | 1870.25 gal/min |
| 375 CFM | 637.125 m3/hr | 10.62 m3/min | 176.9625 L/S | 10620 L/min | 648000 In3/min | 46.7625 gal/s | 2805.375 gal/min |
| 400 CFM | 679.6 m3/hr | 11.328 m3/min | 188.76 L/S | 11328 L/min | 691200 In3/min | 49.88 gal/s | 2992.4 gal/min |
| 600 CFM | 1019.4 m3/hr | 16.992 m3/min | 283.14 L/S | 16992 L/min | 1036800 In3/min | 74.82 gal/s | 4488.6 gal/min |
| 800 CFM | 1359.2 m3/hr | 22.656 m3/min | 377.52 L/S | 22656 L/min | 1382400 In3/min | 99.76 gal/s | 5984.8 gal/min |
| 900 CFM | 1529.1 m3/hr | 25.488 m3/min | 424.71 L/S | 25488 L/min | 1555200 In3/min | 112.23 gal/s | 6732.9 gal/min |
| 1200 CFM | 2038.8 m3/hr | 33.984 m3/min | 566.28 L/S | 33984 L/min | 2073600 In3/min | 149.64 gal/s | 8977.2 gal/min |
CFM application
The unit CFM is widely used. In the manufacturing industry, CFM is often used to measure the air flow of fans, air compressors, vacuum pumps and other equipment. In construction projects, CFM is often used to measure the air flow of ventilation systems to ensure the quality of indoor air.
For example, in hospitals, laboratories, factories and other places, it is necessary to ensure the cleanliness and freshness of indoor air, which requires a HVAC systemย that adopts air blower compressorย with large CFM to achieve this. CFM can be used to measure the air flow of ventilation systems to determine the performance and scope of application of HVAC systems.
In the automotive industry, CFM is often used to measure the air flow of a car engine to determine the performance and applicability of the engine.
For example, when modifying a car, it is necessary to increase the engine’s air intake to improve the car’s power performance. CFM can be used to measure the air intake to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of the modification plan. In the aerospace field, CFM is often used to measure the air flow of an aircraft engine to ensure that the engine can operate normally.
In environmental protection projects, CFM is often used to measure the amount of waste gas emissions and the processing capacity of waste gas treatment equipment.
For example, when a factory discharges waste gas, it is necessary to ensure that the waste gas emissions do not exceed the national standard, otherwise it will be punished. CFM can be used to measure the amount of waste gas emissions to determine whether it meets the national standard.
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