A course on

‘’ Fluid Mechanics-II (MNEG 4361)’’

By : Demise Molawork (PhD Candidates)
School of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT)
Addis Ababa University (AAU)

3.2. Viscosity Measurements

OUT LINE:
1.Viscosity definition.
2.Viscosity forms.
3.Viscosity dependent factors.
4.Viscometer types.
a. Rotational viscometers.
b. Tube viscometers.
DEFINITION:

❑ Viscosity is a quantitative measure of a fluid’s resistance

to flow.
❑ The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to
gradual deformation by shear stress or tensile stress.
FORMS OF SHEAR VISCOSITY OF A
FLUID
Dynamic (or Absolute) Viscosity (Poises):
The dynamic viscosity(η) of a fluid is a measure of the resistance it
offers to relative motion(force over cross section area).

where τ (Pa) and (1/sec)

Kinematic Viscosity (Stokes):

It is defined as the ratio of absolute viscosity to the density of fluid.
;
ρ= (Kg/m3)density of fluid
VISCOSITY DEPENDENT FACTORS
❑ Viscosity is affected by different factors such as
temperature, shear rate, catalyst, pressure, molecular
weight, concentration and storage age.

❑ Viscosity as a function of temperate:

The temperature dependence of liquid viscosity is the
phenomenon by which liquid viscosity tends to decrease as
its temperature increases.
An exponential model for the temperature-dependence of
shear viscosity (μ) was first proposed by Reynolds in 1886.
µ(T) = µ̥ exp(-bT)
where T is temperature and b and µ̥ are coefficients.
For example:
 VISCOSITY DEPENDENT FACTORS
❖ Viscosity as a function of pressure :
viscosity increases, as a rule, with increasing pressure,
provided the liquid is in stable or metastable equilibrium
states.
 VISCOMETERS:
❑ All viscometers apply a stress to the fluid and measure
the resistance to flow.
❑ Most viscometers are in 2 major categories :
1. Rotational type viscometer “Dynamic viscosity”.
VISCOMETERS:

2. Tube type viscometer ” kinematic viscosity “

ROTATIONAL VISCOMETERS

❑ These viscometer give the value of the ‘dynamic viscosity’.

❑ It is based on the principle that the fluid whose viscosity is being
measured is sheared between two surfaces.
❑ In these viscometers one of the surfaces is stationary and the other
is rotated by an external drive and the fluid fills the space in
between.
❑ Rotational viscometers use the idea that the torque required to turn
an object in a fluid is a function of the viscosity of that fluid.
❑ They measure the torque required to rotate a disk or bob in a fluid
at a known speed.
ROTATIONAL VISCOMETERS
There are four main types of these viscometers
1.Parallel plate cylinder viscometer.
2. Cone and plate viscometer
3. Rotating cylinder viscometer.
4. Mixer viscometer
 1.PARALLEL-PLATE VISCOMETER
❑ It is an instrument consisting of two circular parallel plates,
the lower one stationary, the upper one rotatable, the disk-
shaped specimen being confined between the plates.
 2. ROTATING CYLINDER VISCOMETER

❑ A rotating cylinder viscometer is measuring the frequency of a

periodic flow “The terminal angular velocity is measured for a series
of driving torques and of depths of liquid”.
❑ This unit basically consist of two concentric cylinders and a small
intervening annular space contains the test fluids whose viscosity is
to be determined.
❑ The viscous drag due to the liquid between the cylinders produce a
torque on the inner cylinder as the spring torque is proportional to
the angle through which it turns, therefore the angular moment of
the pointer on a fixed disk is used as a measure of viscosity.

❑ Compared with viscometers in common use, the results of this

instrument are influenced to a smaller extent by end effects,
difficulties of adjustment, or the requirement for high precision
parts of special materials.
2. ROTATING CYLINDER VISCOMETER
3. CONE AND PLATE VISCOMETER.
❑ The common feature of a cone-and-plate viscometer is
that the fluid is sheared between a flat plate and a cone
with a low angle.
❑ The cone-and-plate system produces a flow in which the
shear rate is very nearly uniform.
❑ The viscosity is
3𝑇𝜃
𝜇=
2𝜋𝑟 3 𝜔
4. MIXER VISCOMETER

❑ Mixer viscometer technique used to estimate mixer

constants and viscosity using systems of complex
geometry.
TUBE VISCOMETERS
❑ These viscometer give the value of the ‘kinematic viscosity’.
❑ There are fore main types of these viscometers:
1. Glass capillary viscometer.
2. High pressure capillary viscometer .
3. Pipe viscometer.
4. Falling ball viscometer.
1.GLASS CAPILLARY VISCOMETER.
❑ Glass capillary viscometer consists of a U-shaped glass tube held
vertically in a controlled temperature bath.
❑ In one arm of the U is a vertical section of precise narrow bore (the
capillary). Above this is a bulb, with it is another bulb lower down
on the other arm.
❑ In use, liquid is drawn into the upper bulb by suction, then allowed
to flow down through the capillary into the lower bulb. Two marks
(one above and one below the upper bulb) indicate a known
volume. The time taken for the level of the liquid to pass between
these marks is proportional to the kinematic viscosity.
❑ By multiplying the time taken by the factor of the viscometer, the
kinematic viscosity is obtained.
1.GLASS CAPILLARY VISCOMETER.
2.HIGH PRESSURE CAPILLARY VISCOMETER .

❑ The high-pressure capillary viscometer has a measuring liquid

high-pressure which passes through a heat-regulating bath which
can be heated by a built-in heater and whose heat-regulating liquid
is circulated.

❑ A high-pressure device for producing a high pressure in the

measuring liquid comprises a high-pressure pump designed for
continuous delivery and having its suction connection pipe
connected to a measuring liquid stock container and its pressure
connection pipe connected to the measuring liquid high-pressure.
2.HIGH PRESSURE CAPILLARY VISCOMETER
3.PIPE VISCOMETER.

❑ pipe viscometers show better reliability and

accuracy than rotational viscometers.
❑ viscometers are relatively expensive and not
convenient for field applications. As a result, they
are commonly used for research purpose and in-
line viscosity measurement.
❑ A standard pipe viscometer system has flow rate
and pressure loss measuring instrumentations.
❑ To obtain reliable and accurate measurements,
these types of viscometers must have sufficiently
long entrance and exit sections.
3.PIPE VISCOMETER.
4.FALLING BALL VISCOMETER.
❑ The Falling ball viscometer used to measure the viscosity of
Newtonian liquid by measuring the time required for a ball to
fall under gravity through a sample-filled tube that is inclined at
an angle.
❑ The average time of three tests is taken; the result is converted
into a viscosity value using a simple formula.
4.FALLING BALL VISCOMETER.
wl & ws and are the specific weights of
the liquid and the ball, t is time