Convert flow rate units — m³/s, L/s, L/min, ft³/s, gallon/min and more.
| Unit | Name | Value |
|---|---|---|
| m³/s | Cubic Meter/Second | 0.000278 |
| m³/min | Cubic Meter/Minute | 0.016679666 |
| L/s | Liter/Second | 0.278 |
| L/min | Liter/Minute | 16.679666 |
| ft³/s | Cubic Foot/Second | 0.0098174242 |
| ft³/min | Cubic Foot/Minute | 0.58898305 |
| gal/min | Gallon/Minute (US) | 4.4064036 |
| gal/h | Gallon/Hour (US) | 264.38421 |
Formula: CFM = m³/h × 0.5886
Multiply any m³/h value by 0.5886 to get CFM.
Reverse: m³/h = CFM × 1.699
Common flow rate values — factor: 1 m³/h = 0.5886 CFM
| m³/h (m³/h) | CFM (CFM) | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 0.001 m³/h | 0.0005886 CFM | Very small |
| 0.01 m³/h | 0.005886 CFM | 1 L/min |
| 0.1 m³/h | 0.05886 CFM | 100 L/min |
| 1 m³/h | 0.5886 CFM | ~0.28 L/s |
| 10 m³/h | 5.886 CFM | Small pump |
| 100 m³/h | 58.86 CFM | Industrial pump |
| 500 m³/h | 294.3 CFM | Large HVAC |
| 1000 m³/h | 588.6 CFM | Large system |
| 5000 m³/h | 2943 CFM | Large plant |
| 1e+04 m³/h | 5886 CFM | Municipal supply |
| 3.6e+04 m³/h | 2.119e+04 CFM | 10 m³/s |
| 1e+05 m³/h | 5.886e+04 CFM | River |
| 1e+06 m³/h | 5.886e+05 CFM | Large river |
| 1e+07 m³/h | 5.886e+06 CFM | Very large |
| 1.000e+09 m³/h | 5.886e+08 CFM | Amazon |
m³/h × 0.5886 = CFM. Round to × 0.59.
1 m³/h ≈ 0.59 CFM. 1,699 m³/h = 1,000 CFM.
CFM × 1.699 = m³/h.
Designs pumps, pipes, and water distribution systems with flow rates in m³/s, L/s, and GPM.
Specifies air handling units and ductwork in CFM (ft³/min) and m³/h for North American and European projects.
Monitors and controls treatment processes with flow rates in m³/h, L/s, and MGD.
Designs sprinkler systems with required flows in GPM and L/min per NFPA standards.
Measures river and groundwater flows in m³/s (m) and ft³/s (cfs) for flood modeling and water resource planning.
Configures ventilators and oxygen delivery systems with flow rates specified in L/min.
Cubic meters per hour (m³/h) is the standard flow unit in European industrial and HVAC specifications, water treatment, and utility metering. It is the most practical scale for many industrial processes.
Water meters in Europe display consumption in m³, and flow rates in municipal water systems are specified in m³/h. A typical home consumes 1–5 m³/h peak demand; a large industrial facility might use 1,000–10,000 m³/h.
Interesting fact: Global freshwater withdrawal for agriculture, industry, and municipal use is approximately 4,600 km³/year — about 524,000 m³/h per billion people — making water flow measurement one of the most economically important metrological applications.
Cubic feet per minute (CFM) is the dominant airflow unit in North American HVAC, ventilation, and pneumatic systems. One CFM = 0.000472 m³/s = 28.32 L/min.
HVAC systems in the US are universally specified in CFM: a typical bedroom requires 50–100 CFM of ventilation; a commercial kitchen exhaust hood needs 300–1,500 CFM; a large data center cooling system may require 100,000+ CFM.
Interesting fact: The term CFM is so entrenched in US building practice that even metric-preferring engineers typically specify airflows in CFM for North American projects. Air compressors are rated in CFM at a specified pressure (e.g., '10 CFM @ 90 psi').
Converting m³/h to CFM is essential across hydraulic engineering, HVAC, water treatment, fire protection, and medicine. SI units (m³/s, L/s) are standard in science; European engineering uses m³/h; US systems use GPM and CFM; medical applications use L/min.
Quick reference: 10 m³/h = 5.886 CFM. Reverse: 1 CFM = 1.699 m³/h. Factor: 1 m³/h = 0.5886 CFM.
All conversions use IEEE 754 double-precision arithmetic, accurate to at least 8 significant figures.