The volume of cooling liquid passing through a specified circuit per unit time, commonly stated in L/min or L/h.
Also called: cooling liquid flow rate; circulating fluid flow rate; cooling water flow rate.
Does the pump’s maximum flow reach the cooling station?
Not necessarily. Pump capability differs from flow delivered through the installed circuit. Discharge pressure, elevation and piping resistance affect the operating point; hoses, fittings and machine passages remain part of the flow path.
Define whether a number refers to the entire loop or one branch and state the fluid and measurement location. A common supply-line reading does not independently establish flow through every parallel cooling passage. For procurement, compare the required machine-side flow with evidence for the proposed circuit, not only a free-flow catalog maximum.
Flow alone is not cooling power. Heat pickup also depends on fluid properties and the temperature rise across the application. A high flow value without thermal conditions does not demonstrate the required process temperature.
L/min and m³/h express volume flow; mass flow also requires fluid density. For example, 12 L/min equals 0.72 m³/h. This unit conversion leaves the actual cooling duty and required machine flow unchanged.