The standard liter per minute (SLM or SLPM) is a unit of (molar or)
mass flow rate
In physics and engineering, mass flow rate is the Temporal rate, rate at which mass of a substance changes over time. Its unit of measurement, unit is kilogram per second (kg/s) in SI units, and Slug (unit), slug per second or pound (mass), pou ...
of a gas at
standard conditions for temperature and pressure
Standard temperature and pressure (STP) or standard conditions for temperature and pressure are various standard sets of conditions for experimental measurements used to allow comparisons to be made between different sets of data. The most used ...
(STP), which is most commonly practiced in the United States, whereas European practice revolves around the
normal litre per minute (NLPM). Until 1982, STP was defined as a temperature of 273.15
K (0 °C, 32 °F) and an
absolute pressure
Pressure measurement is the measurement of an applied force by a fluid (liquid or gas) on a surface. Pressure is typically measured in unit of measurement, units of force per unit of surface area. Many techniques have been developed for the me ...
of 101.325 kPa (1
atm). Since 1982, STP is defined as a temperature of 273.15 K (0 °C, 32 °F) and an absolute pressure of 100 kPa (1
bar
Bar or BAR may refer to:
Food and drink
* Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages
* Candy bar
** Chocolate bar
* Protein bar
Science and technology
* Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment
* Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...
).
Conversions between each volume flow metric are calculated using the following formulas:
Prior to 1982,
:
Post 1982,
:
:
assuming zero degree Celsius reference point for STP when using SLPM, which differs from the
"room" temperature reference for the NLPM standard. These methods are used due to differences in environmental temperatures and pressures during data collection.
In the
SI system of units
The International System of Units, internationally known by the abbreviation SI (from French ), is the modern form of the metric system and the world's most widely used system of measurement. It is the only system of measurement with official st ...
, the preferred unit for
volumetric flow rate
In physics and engineering, in particular fluid dynamics, the volumetric flow rate (also known as volume flow rate, or volume velocity) is the volume of fluid which passes per unit time; usually it is represented by the symbol (sometimes \do ...
is
cubic meter per second
Cubic metre per second or cubic meter per second in Metre#Spelling, American English (symbol m3s−1 or m3/s) is the unit of volumetric flow rate in the International System of Units (SI). It corresponds to the exchange or movement of the volum ...
, equivalent to 60,000 liters per minute. If the gas is to be considered as an
ideal gas
An ideal gas is a theoretical gas composed of many randomly moving point particles that are not subject to interparticle interactions. The ideal gas concept is useful because it obeys the ideal gas law, a simplified equation of state, and is ...
, then SLPM can be expressed as
mole
Mole (or Molé) may refer to:
Animals
* Mole (animal) or "true mole"
* Golden mole, southern African mammals
* Marsupial mole
Marsupial moles, the Notoryctidae family, are two species of highly specialized marsupial mammals that are found i ...
per second using the
molar gas constant
The molar gas constant (also known as the gas constant, universal gas constant, or ideal gas constant) is denoted by the symbol or . It is the molar equivalent to the Boltzmann constant, expressed in units of energy per temperature increment pe ...
= 8.314510 J⋅K
−1⋅mol
−1:
mol/s.
See also
*
Flow measurement
Flow measurement is the quantification of bulk fluid movement. Flow can be measured using devices called flowmeters in various ways. The common types of flowmeters with industrial applications are listed below:
* Obstruction type (differential pr ...
*
Gas laws
The laws describing the behaviour of gases under fixed pressure, volume, amount of gas, and absolute temperature conditions are called gas laws. The basic gas laws were discovered by the end of the 18th century when scientists found out that re ...
*
Standard cubic foot
A standard cubic foot (scf) is a unit representing the amount of gas (such as natural gas) contained in a volume of one cubic foot at reference temperature and pressure conditions. It is the unit commonly used when following the United States ...
(SCF)
*
Standard cubic feet per minute
Standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) is the molar flow rate of a gas expressed as a volumetric flow at a "standardized" temperature and pressure thus representing a fixed number of moles of gas regardless of composition and actual flow conditio ...
(SCFM)
References
{{Reflist
Fluid dynamics
Units of flow