Tömegáram

Tömegáram, often translated as mass flow rate, is a fundamental concept in fluid mechanics and many engineering disciplines. It quantifies the amount of mass of a substance that passes through a given surface per unit of time. The standard unit for mass flow rate in the International System of Units (SI) is kilograms per second (kg/s).

The calculation of mass flow rate involves the product of the fluid's density, its cross-sectional area, and its velocity. Mathematically, it can be expressed as $\dot{m} = \rho \cdot A \cdot v$, where $\dot{m}$ represents the mass flow rate, $\rho$ is the density of the fluid, $A$ is the cross-sectional area through which the fluid is flowing, and $v$ is the average velocity of the fluid perpendicular to that area. Alternatively, it can be defined as the derivative of mass with respect to time, $dm/dt$.

Understanding mass flow rate is crucial for analyzing and designing systems involving the transport or processing of fluids, such as pipelines, pumps, turbines, and combustion engines. It is a key parameter in conservation of mass principles and is used to determine how much material is being moved or transformed within a system. Changes in mass flow rate can indicate operational issues or changes in the performance of a system.