Engineering English
Flow Rate
Mechanical Engineering · Engineering Fundamentals · Manufacturing Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Flow rate is the volume or mass of fluid passing through a cross-section per unit time. It is a fundamental parameter in fluid system design and analysis.
Example in context
“The design engineer specified the required flow rate for the cooling water system at 300 liters per minute.”
“Tasarım mühendisi soğutma suyu sistemi için gereken debiyi dakikada 300 litre olarak belirledi.”
Where engineers use it
Flow rate is used in pipe sizing, pump selection, and valve specification. An engineer calculates the flow rate to ensure adequate cooling or heating, or to determine pressure drops in piping systems.
Synonyms: discharge, volumetric flow rate, mass flow rate
In Engineering Fundamentals
The volume or mass of fluid that passes through a given cross-section per unit of time.
“The pump was adjusted until the flow rate through the cooling circuit reached the value required by the design.”
In Manufacturing Engineering
Flow rate is a calibration parameter that adjusts the volume of material extruded relative to the programmed amount, usually expressed as a percentage. It compensates for filament diameter variations and influences dimensional accuracy.
“After measuring the wall thickness, I reduced the flow rate to 95% to correct for over-extrusion.”
Practice: can you use “Flow Rate” at work?
You are tasked with designing a water distribution network. Calculate the required flow rate for each branch based on demand and pipe diameter constraints.
Show a model answer
“Check the flow rate to verify pump performance meets the design requirements.”
“Flow Rate” in 21 languages
| English | Flow Rate |
|---|---|
| Turkish | debi |
| French | débit |
| German | Durchflussrate |
| Spanish | caudal |
| Chinese | 流量 |
| Arabic | معدل التدفق |
| Portuguese | vazão |
| Russian | расход |
| Japanese | 流量 |
| Italian | portata |
| Vietnamese | lưu lượng |
| Hindi | प्रवाह दर |
| Thai | อัตราการไหล |
| Indonesian | laju aliran |
| Korean | 유량 |
| Bengali | প্রবাহ হার |
| Dutch | debiet |
| Swedish | flöde |
| Finnish | virtausnopeus |
| Ukrainian | витрата |
Frequently asked questions
What does Flow Rate mean in engineering?
Flow rate is the volume or mass of fluid passing through a cross-section per unit time. It is a fundamental parameter in fluid system design and analysis. In Mechanical Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Flow Rate?
Flow Rate is pronounced /ˈfloʊ reɪt/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Flow Rate used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The design engineer specified the required flow rate for the cooling water system at 300 liters per minute.”
This entry is one of 7,806 terms in the Engineering English iOS app — with quizzes, spaced repetition and pronunciation checking.
Get the app on the App Store