9/30/24, 4:47 PM SCFM Vs CFM Explained: SCFM To CFM Calculator + Chart

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SCFM Vs CFM Explained: SCFM To CFM Calculator

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Both CFM and SCFM are units for measuring airflow. That can be an airflow generated
by an air conditioner, furnace, ceiling fan, compressor, and other HVAC devices.

CFM stands for Cubic Feet per Minute. SCFM stands for Standard Cubic Feet per Minute.
As we see, the only difference between SCFM and CFM is that inclusion of ‘Standard’.
And it’s there for a very important reason.

Here’s the thing:

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Not all air is the same. If you look at SCFM vs CFM, both are volumetric units of air.
However, the same volume of air can have different temperatures, pressure, and
humidity. That also means that the amount of air (mass of air, if you will) is not the
same at all temperatures and air pressures.

Note: It’s a bit difficult to explain the differences between SCFM and CFM without going
too much into physics and Ideal Gas Law. We try to explain it as simply as possible.
Below you will also find an SCFM to CFM calculator that automatically converts SCFM
to CFM. Here is the complete SCFM to CFM formula we derive further on:

CFM = SCFM × (14.7 psi ÷ Pactual ) × (Tactual + 459.67) ÷ (68°F + 459.67)

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Example of SCFM to CFM calculator use: 500 SCFM at 60°F temperature and 16 psi pressure is equal to 452.41
CFM. You will find the calculator (with calculated chart) below the explanation of SCFM vs CFM metrics.

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From experience, we all know that warmer air rises (due to lower density). We also know
that moist air sinks (due to higher density). SCFM vs CFM is just a means to quantify
exactly what amount of air is moving (not just what volume of air but the exact mass of
air).

Example: A typical 1-ton air conditioner will generate 400 CFM of airflow. How many
SCFM airflow we’re talking about here? It can be 350 SCFM, 390 SCFM, 450 SCFM
airflow. In very specific cases SCFM can be equal to CFM; ie. 400 CFM.

This variable nature of air calls for standardization (based on air pressure and
temperature). That’s why we have come up with SCFM – a standardized measure of
airflow, expressed in CFM. All of this might sound a bit complex. Here’s the simplified
version:

CFM is airflow measured at any temperature and any pressure.

SCFM is airflow measured at a specific temperature (68°F) and at a specific
pressure (14.7 psi).

To truly understand what SCFM and CFM are and what are the differences between
SCFM and CFM, let’s look at each of them individually. Knowing what each of them
means will help us illustrate the main SCFM vs CFM differences:

Table of Contents
Understanding SCFM (Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute)
Understanding CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute)
How To Convert SCFM To CFM
SCFM To CFM Calculator (Convert SCFM To CFM)
SCFM To CFM Chart (From 10-20 psi And 0-100°F)
Related posts:

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9/30/24, 4:47 PM SCFM Vs CFM Explained: SCFM To CFM Calculator + Chart

Understanding SCFM (Standard Cubic Feet Per Minute)

If you check the Ideal Gas Law, you can see why not all air (gas) is the same. Here is the
Ideal Gas Law equation:

P×V = n × R × T

You can see there are quite a few variables here: P is pressure, V is volume, n is the
amount of gas, and T is the temperature (R is a constant). CFM will only tell us what the
volumetric nature of gas is; all other variables are unspecified.

That can cause quite a lot of problems because you are unable to compare airflow in
CFMs alone. That’s why SCFM was introduced. SCFM doesn’t only tell us what the
volume of the air is (V), it also specifies what is the pressure (P), amount of gas (n), and
temperature (T). SCFM differs from CFM mainly in that SCFM has these variables fixed.

The most common SCFM standardization specifications are set by the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Pretty much all US manufacturers that
produce devices with airflow will use the ASME airflow unit standardization.

Here are the specific metrics that define SCFM:

Pressure (P) is 1 atmosphere or 14.7 psi.

Temperature (T) is 68°F.
Relative humidity is 36% (used for calculating ‘n’ or amount of air).
Air density is 0.075 lbs/ft3 (used for calculating ‘n’ or amount of air).


Simply put, SCFM is a measure of airflow at exactly 1 atm pressure, at exactly 68°F
pressure, and air density of 0.075 lbs/ft3 (36% relative humidity levels).

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Now, in most cases, we don’t have exactly 1 atm pressure and 68°F pressure
temperature, and so on. In all those cases, we don’t talk about pressures and
temperatures; we only talk about the volumetric amount of air. And that volume of air is
measured in CFMs.

Understanding CFM (Cubic Feet Per Minute)

CFM is the simplest way to describe the volume of air that is moving. 1 CFM airflow
means that every minute, such a device will generate a total of 1 ft3 of airflow.

If you compare the CFM to SCFM, the CFM unit doesn’t tell us anything about
temperature (T), pressure (P), humidity levels, and so on. It only tells us about 1 variable
and that is the volume of air (V).

Of course, if we know at which temperature and pressure we are measuring this airflow
in CFM, we can convert these CFMs into CFMs at standardized conditions (1 atm
pressure, 68°F pressure). That’s the CFM to SCFM conversion.

Obviously, the reverse is also true. If we have SCFM, we can convert them to CFM, if we
know at what pressure and temperature these CFMs will be.

How To Convert SCFM To CFM

Let’s say we have an air conditioner that generates 400 SCFM of airflow. We would like
to know how many CFM does this air conditioner generates, and calculate it from
SCFM.

For SCFM-part, we know that this AC will generate 400 SCFM of airflow. That is airflow

at 1 atm (14.7 psi) pressure and 68°F temperature (or 293K).

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We, however, are using this AC in a room with a bit higher pressure (say 15.3 psi) and a
bit lower temperature (say 65°F or 290K).

Because of the difference in pressure and temperature, 400 SCFM will not equal 400
CFM. To adequately convert SCFM to CFM, we use the following SCFM to CFM formula:

CFM = SCFM × (14.7 psi ÷ Pactual ) × (Tactual + 459.67) ÷ (68°F+459.67)

This might look like a daunting equation, but it’s quite easy to use. You just plug in
SCFM, P and T. Here’s what you get in our example:

CFM = 400 CFM ÷ ((15.3 psi ÷ 14.7 psi)×((68°F+459.67) ÷ (65°F+ 459.67))) = 382 CFM

As we can see, if we change the conditions at which we measure the airflow from SCFM
conditions, the resulting CFMs can differ quite a bit.

Using this SCFM to CFM formula, we can devise a calculator that converts SCFM to CFM
automatically. Here it is:

SCFM To CFM Calculator (Convert SCFM To CFM)

To calculate CFM from SCFM, you need to know what is the pressure (in psi) and
temperature (in °F) you’re calculating the CFM at. Once you do, you can just plug them
into this SCFM to CFM converter and get the resulting CFMs:

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SCFM To CFM Converter

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Just insert SCFM, pressure and temperature for CFM calculation

Insert SCFM:

373

Insert Temperature (In °F):

50

Insert Pressure (In PSI):

35.9

Calculated CFM airflow:

147.52 CFM

Here is an example of how this calculator works:

Let’s say we want to convert 500 SCFM to CFM at 60°F temperature and 16 psi pressure.
You just use the slider, set the ‘500 SCFM’, ’60°F’ and ’16 psi’ and you get the result: 500
SCFM is equal to 452.41 CFM at those conditions.

Using this calculator, you can pretty much convert any SCFM to CFM at any condition.
We have calculated an SCFM to CFM chart for pressures ranging from 10 to 20 psi and
temperatures ranging from 0°F to 100°F to illustrate what’s the SCFM vs CFM difference
at various conditions:

SCFM To CFM Chart (From 10-20 psi And 0-100°F)

Here are converted 100 SCFM airflow values to CFM at various temperatures and air
pressures at 36% relative humidity:

Temperature CFM (10 CFM (12 CFM (14 CFM (16 CFM (18 CFM (20
(°F): psi): psi): psi): psi): psi): psi):

128.06 106.72 91.47 80.04 71.14 64.03

0°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

130.84 109.04 93.46 81.78 72.69 65.42

10°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

133.63 111.36 95.45 83.52 74.24 66.82
20°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

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Temperature CFM (10 CFM (12 CFM (14 CFM (16 CFM (18 CFM (20
(°F): psi): psi): psi): psi): psi): psi):

136.42 113.68 97.44 85.26 75.79 68.21

30°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

139.20 116.00 99.43 87.00 77.33 69.60

40°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

141.99 118.32 101.42 88.74 78.88 70.99

50°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

144.77 120.64 103.41 90.48 80.43 72.39

60°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

147.56 122.96 105.40 92.22 81.98 73.78

70°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

150.34 125.29 107.39 93.96 83.52 75.17

80°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

153.13 127.61 109.38 95.70 85.07 76.56

90°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

155.91 129.93 111.37 97.45 86.62 77.96

100°F
CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM CFM

As we can see from the chart above, CFMs increase with increasing temperature and
decreases with increasing pressure. 

Hopefully, now the SCFM vs CFM relation is better understood. If you have any other
questions, you can use the comments below and we’ll try to help you out as best we
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can.

Related posts:

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2. Convert BTU To Tons: How Many BTU In A Ton?
3. Convert Amps To Watts (A to W): Simplest Calculator + Conversion Chart
4. What Size Heat Pump Do I Need? Heat Pump Size Calculator
5. How Many Outlets On A 20-Amp Circuit? (+ How Many Watts)

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HVAC metrics:

SEER = (1 × EER100% + 42 × EER75% + 45 × EER50% + 12 × EER25%)/100

EER = BTUcooling/W

HSPF = BTUheating/W

COP = Q (useful heat)/W (input work)

ACH = CFM x 60/Area x Heightceiling

Total Heat (BTU/hr.) = 4.5 x CFM x Δh (std. air)

Sensible Heat (BTU/hr) = 1.1 x CFM x Δt (std. air)

Latent Heat (BTU/hr) = 0.69 x CFM x Δgr. (std. air)

1 HP = 746 Watts

1 kW = 3413 BTU

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