Convert fuel flow by mass, and to volume once you know the density.
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Fuel flow is quoted by mass in lb/h or kg/h, and by volume in gallons or liters per hour. Mass units convert exactly, so enter a value and pick the units. To move between mass and volume you also need the fuel's density, and the tables below show how. Volume changes with temperature, and mass does not, which is why engines and burners are usually rated by mass.
1 lb/h = 0.45359237 kg/h exactly. 1 t/h = 1,000 kg/h.
| Pounds/hour (lb/h) | Kilograms/hour (kg/h) |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 0.0454 |
| 1 | 0.4536 |
| 5 | 2.268 |
| 10 | 4.5359 |
| 50 | 22.6796 |
| 100 | 45.3592 |
| 500 | 226.7962 |
| 1,000 | 453.5924 |
| 10,000 | 4,535.9237 |
11 kg/s → kg/h
1 kg/s = 3,600 kg/h
1 kg/s = 3,600 kg/h
21,000 lb/h → kg/h
1,000 lb/h = 453.59237 kg/h
1,000 lb/h = 453.59237 kg/h
31 t/h → lb/h
1 t/h = 2,204.622622 lb/h
1 t/h = 2,204.622622 lb/h
410 g/s → kg/h
10 g/s = 36 kg/h
10 g/s = 36 kg/h
55,000 lb/h Jet A → gal/h
5,000 lb/h = 746.117231 gal/h
5,000 lb/h = 746.117231 gal/h
6440 cc/min gasoline → lb/h
440 cc/min = 41.905467 lb/h
440 cc/min = 41.905467 lb/h
Kilogram per hourkg/h
A metric mass fuel-flow unit common in burner, boiler and engine specs. Independent of fuel density and temperature.
Pound per hourlb/h
0.45359237 kg/h exactly. The US unit for boiler and turbine fuel consumption.
Kilogram per secondkg/s
3,600 kg/h exactly. Used for large engines and gas-turbine fuel flow.
Tonne per hourt/h
1,000 kg/h exactly. Used for large boiler and power-plant fuel feed.
Fuel flow conversion appears in engine, burner and power-plant engineering.
| lb/h | kg/h | kg/s | g/s |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0.4536 | 0.000126 | 0.126 |
| 100 | 45.36 | 0.0126 | 12.6 |
| 1,000 | 453.6 | 0.126 | 126 |
| 2,205 | 1,000 | 0.2778 | 277.8 |
| 7,937 | 3,600 | 1 | 1,000 |
One pound is exactly 0.45359237 kg, so these factors are exact. One tonne per hour is 1,000 kg/h, or 2,204.6 lb/h.
Mass flow ÷ fuel density = volume flow. Pick gal/h or L/h in the converter, and a density box appears. These are the typical weights to use.
| Fuel | lb per US gallon | kg/L | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avgas 100LL | 6.0 | 0.72 | Common flight-planning value |
| Gasoline | 6.0–6.5 | 0.72–0.78 | U.S. DOE |
| Jet A | about 6.7 | 0.80 | Common flight-planning value |
| No. 2 diesel | 7.08 | 0.85 | U.S. DOE |
Take a jet engine burning 5,000 lb/h of Jet A:
5,000 lb/h ÷ 6.7 lb/gal = 746 gal/h = 2,825 L/h = 2,268 kg/h
Fuel gets lighter as it warms, and each batch differs, so use a measured value where accuracy matters. For flight planning, use the fuel weight in your aircraft's approved documents.
Injectors are rated in cc/min or lb/h, and the conversion depends on fuel density. Take a 440 cc/min injector with gasoline at 0.72–0.75 g/cm³:
The usual rule of thumb divides cc/min by 10.5, which gives 41.9 lb/h. Injector ratings are measured with a stated test fluid and pressure, so check those conditions too.
Fuel flow is really a power rating in disguise. Multiply it by the heating value to get heat input.
No. 2 diesel holds about 128,488 Btu per gallon. A burner using 10 gal/h takes in 1.285 million Btu/h, or 377 kW. In mass terms that is 70.8 lb/h, or 32.1 kg/h, and diesel works out to about 42.2 MJ/kg.
Output is lower, by the efficiency of the burner or engine. To change Btu/h into kW, use the power converter. To compare fuels, use the energy converter.
For air, water or any other fluid, use the mass flow converter, and the flow rate converter for volume. Road-vehicle figures such as mpg and L/100 km belong in the fuel economy converter. This page is for fuel, where you often need to link a mass rating to a volume reading on a meter.
The kg/h to lb/h factor 0.45359237 is exact. FlowUtil computes with full precision and rounds only the displayed value. Mass fuel flow is independent of density, unlike volumetric flow.
Fuel flow varies with load, temperature and fuel grade, so two or three significant figures normally reflect the measurement. Keep more decimals only for calibrated flow-meter data.