Flow Behavior: Determining Viscosity of a Fluid

Mitchell Koser

Lab Report 1

BSEN 3310 Hydraulic Transport Group 1

Oladiran Fasina

Sept. 14, 2023

Abstract

This report covers the flow behavior lab completed in class. A group specific fluid was selected, and data

was collected on it using multiple machines. The data was converted into usable and required units and

recorded. For spindle 1, at a shear rate 0f 0.110 (1/s) the viscosity was determined to be 0.569 (Pa*s). As

noted in this report, the data followed a pattern where an increase in shear rate shows an increase in

viscosity. These experimentally determined values for viscosity are compared to given data of different

fluids from the procedure in order to test accuracy and answer questions.

Introduction

In our everyday lives we interact with fluids constantly. To the extreme that without it we would

not be alive without a substance for our heart to pump and much less enjoy the leisure’s of today’s

technology. With that being said, the viscosity of these fluids affects us directly through the air we

breathe, water we drink, oil in our car or even the consistency of condiments on your sandwich. “This

internal resistance to flow is quantified by the fluid property viscosity, which is a measure of internal

stickiness of the fluid. Viscosity is caused by cohesive forces between the molecules in liquids and by

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molecular collisions in gases” (Cengel and Cimbala, 2018). Viscosity is an important parameter for the

modern day engineer that deal with the analysis of fluids, this is called rheology. Rheology is “the study

and mathematical representation of different fluids in response to surface forces” (Cengel and Cimbala,

2018). Rheology can be broken down into two categories of fluids, Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluid.

From there we can decipher a fluid as having properties like shear thickening, shear thinning and

Bingham plastic. A shear thickening fluid or dilatant fluid becomes more viscous when impacted by

external forces. A shear thinning fluid or pseudoplastic, becomes less viscous when impacted by external

forces. A Bingham plastic does not reveal to be viscous until it has experienced a high enough external

force. Now with the brief background on fluids, let us investigate further into some fluids we may use

from day to day.

Objectives

With the impact fluids have on us, there needs to be a scientific process on calculating viscosity

to ensure repeatable and reproducible use information across the field of engineering. This report

provides the process of obtaining viscosity of a fluid, data comparison of fluids viscous property and

analysis of two instruments used in obtaining viscosity.

Materials and Methods

Many methods can be used to obtain viscosity. Through some research, molecular weight can be

used. Which makes sense as forces are interacting with molecules of the fluid. “The higher the molecular

weight, the higher the viscosity” (Putman and Ritcher, 2007). In this lab we used a method of fluid

resistance against a spinning spindle. “The measurement of viscosity can be done using different

methods; most traditional ones rely on measuring the movement of an object dipped within the fluid”

(Al Shaghouri, et al. 2022). Data was obtained using a Brookfield digital viscosity meter and the fluid was

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chosen by our group for testing. The Brookfield viscometer does exactly as the quote describes, spinning

a spindle in a fluid and calculating the resistance the fluid causes.

The chosen fluid was Mrs. Butters Worth Syrup, a pancake syrup, primarily made of high fructose

corn syrup. The syrup was poured into a five hundred milliliter beaker. With the motor off spindle

number one was screwed onto the viscometer. The meter was raised to a level at which the beaker could

fit under. Then, lowered to the height specified by a line on the spindle matching the fluid level. A

spindle speed was chosen, and the machine was turned on by a switch. The reading of centipoise was

taken when the percent was between five and EEEE at the time of which the digital readout stopped

blinking. This trial was run twelve times, twice for every spindle and speed chosen with six combinations.

Between runs, the meter was raised and then lowered back down to the required level before turning

back on. The six combinations were repeated twice for more data at a given set point. When all the data

was collected the spindles and beaker was cleaned, results were calculated.

Results

Results from the lab were recorded and compiled into a table and graph. Data from the

Brookfield viscometer were given in units of centipoise then converted to pascal seconds by dividing by

one thousand. Shear rate is calculated by multiplying the spindle number by revolutions per minute.

Pascal seconds can then be multiplied by the shear rate, one over seconds, to obtain the shear stress.

The results of the experiment are shown in Table 1. Twelve trials were run, only six are shown. Since

every unique run had two trials, the average of the shear stress and shear rate are displayed below.

Shear stress versus shear rate was plotted on a graph, and a trendline equation was used to determine

the viscosity of the syrup in Figure 1.

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Table 1. Results of the twelve test runs performed by the Brookfield digital viscometer.

Spindle Number Shear Rate (1/s) Viscosity (Pa*s) Shear Stress (Pa)

1 0.220 1.078 0.461

1 0.110 0.569 0.243

1 0.440 2.174 0.929

2 0.424 2.335 0.997

2 0.530 2.983 1.275

2 0.636 3.623 1.548

1.800

1.600

1.400 f(x) = 2.34055189801943 x

R² = 0.997053658818702
1.200
Shear Stress (Pa)

1.000

0.800

0.600

0.400

0.200

0.000
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700
Shear Rate (1/s)

Figure 1. Estimated shear stress versus shear rate from data.

Discussion

For further studying of viscosity some additional data was provided on fluids from the lab

manual. Data points of shear stress and shear rate were given at a constant temperature of twenty-five

degrees Celsius. These include fifty-four percent starch water, chocolate syrup, and canola oil; shown in

figures 2-4 respectively. This data was used in Excel to make scatterplots to analyze the fluid behavior.

The fluids all have different graphs representing what type of fluid characteristics they have. In Figure 2,

the starch-water exhibits an exponential curve.

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 250.00

200.00
Shear Stress (Pa)

150.00

100.00 f(x) = 0.00388899850793764 x^1.94257743420701

R² = 0.961770979478618
50.00

0.00
0.00 50.00 100.00 150.00 200.00 250.00
Shear Rate (1/s)

Figure 2. Shear stress versus shear rate for fifty-four percent starch-water at 25 degC.

The curve of this fluid exhibits characteristics of a dilatant non-Newtonian fluid. This is proven in Figure 2

by two ways. One being that the data displays a concave up curve. Secondly through the value of flow

behavior index, b, in y=axb being greater than one. Seen underneath the equation of the trendline is an

R2 value, the coefficient of determination, representing how close of a fit the trendline is to your data.

Zero means the data has no correlation and as you increase to one it represents a strong correlation.

Figure 2 data and trendline are very accurate to each other.

In Figure 3, the chocolate syrup is represented by a logarithmic trendline. This reveals a fluid

property different than the starch-water, that being a pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluid. With the

exponent or flow behavior index being less than one in Figure 3, this reveals the pseudoplastic

characteristic. The R2 value of this graph is extremely close to one, validating the data and trendline

equation are good indicators of the fluid property.

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 60

50

40 f(x) = 3.86578711641406 x^0.572314464005214

Shear Stress (Pa)

R² = 0.989605101059279

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Shear Rate (1/s)

Figure 3. Shear stress versus shear rate of chocolate syrup at 25 degC.

Figure 4, canola oil, exhibits an almost perfect linear trendline. Again, analyzing the flow behavior index,

the value is equal to one representing that canola oil at twenty-five degrees Celsius is a Newtonian fluid.

The graph and data as a whole are very precise with the R2 value being 0.9999.

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4.5
f(x) = 0.0624061048581365 x
4 R² = 0.999876117136015

3.5
Shear Stress (Pa)

3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Shear Rate (1/s)

Figure 4. Shear stress versus shear rate of canola oil at 25 degC.

Temperature can have an affect on the viscosity, to analyze the impact temperature change has

we can look at canola oil at varied temperatures. Some fluids will have a direct relationship, becoming

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more viscous with temperature increase and vice versa. Data points for canola oil, of shear stress and

shear rate, at varying temperatures can be seen in Figure 5.

10
9
f(x) = 0.120885833016271 x
8
7
Shear Stress (Pa)

6
5
4 f(x) = 0.0624061048581365 x
3
2 f(x) = 0.0367153061436905 x
1 f(x) = 0.0243517554900747 x
f(x)
f(x) == 0.0182714253477179
0.0141564223888097 xx
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Shear Rate (1/s)

10 degC Linear (10 degC) 25 degC Linear (25 degC)

40 degC Linear (40 degC) 55 degC Linear (55 degC)
70 degC Linear (70 degC) 85 degC Linear (85 degC)
Figure 5. Canola oil shear stress versus shear rate at varying temperatures.

This fluid is a Newtonian fluid based on the linear relationship shown in Figure 5. The viscosity appears

to decrease with the increased temperature as the trendlines begin to flatten. A better graphical

representation of this can be seen in Figure 6.

0.14
f(x) = 1.39043744277801 x^-1.01047021705204
0.12 R² = 0.983127760294797
0.1
Viscosity (Pa*s)

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Temperature (degC)

Figure 6. Viscosity versus temperature of canola oil.

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 Rheological data for Dawn and Dawn EZ Squeeze were collected with the Bohlin rheometer. This

data was given from the lab manual in shear stress and shear rate of the two fluids at twenty-five

degrees Celsius. Figure 7 shows this data graphically.

60

50
Shear Stress (Pa)

40

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Shear Rate (1/s)

Normal Linear (Normal)

EZ Squeeze Linear (EZ Squeeze)
Figure 7. The comparison of Dawn to Dawn EZ Squeeze shear stress versus shear rate.

The viscosities and ingredients of these two soaps are similar. The EZ Squeeze is slightly more

viscous. In terms of ingredients, the EZ Squeeze has rubbing alcohol where the regular Dawn does not.

This obviously has a slight impact on the viscosities and in turn may impact the degreasing capabilities

between the two fluids. No conclusions can be made on that front as a test for the efficacy of the soaps

was not performed in this lab. Based on the data collected these soaps should perform similarly,

removing grease and cleaning your dishes.

The fluid used by our group was previously stated in the methods, that being pancake syrup. Let

us analyze Brookfield digital viscometer data to Bohlin data, shown in Figure 1 and Figure 8. Figure 1 is

data experimentally determined while Figure 8 is Bohlin data was obtained from the lab manual upon

someone else’s experimental determination.

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 1.800
1.600
1.400 f(x) = 2.34055189801943 x
Shear Stress (Pa)

1.200 R² = 0.997053658818702
1.000
0.800
0.600
0.400
0.200
0.000
0.000 0.100 0.200 0.300 0.400 0.500 0.600 0.700
Shear Rate (1/s)
.
Figure 1. Shear stress versus shear rate of pancake syrup.

60
f(x) = 0.80621769159288 x
50 R² = 0.983013660272743
Shear Stress (Pa)

40
30
20
10
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Shear Rate (1/s)
.
Figure 8. Bohlin data shear stress versus shear rate of pancake syrup.

Both graphs use a linear trendline with the intercept set equal to zero. Based on this small

sample of comparison the Brookfield viscometer reveals an R2 value closer to one than the Bohlin data.

This raises the question of equipment cost to data capturing efficacy. The Bohlin viscometer is many

times more expensive than the Brookfield viscometer, but getting the same job done. With this being the

data set for the Brookfield test is much smaller leaving room for error, on both the upper and lower

epsilons of the readings scale. Based on the data from the Bohlin test the pancake syrup is a

pseudoplastic or shear thinning fluid.

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 Conclusion

This lab focused on the rheology of one specific fluid using the Brookfield digital viscometer and

the analysis of data obtained from the lab manual from a Bohlin viscometer. The data from both was

accurate, allowing one to identify Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids from one another based off

graphs. Errors can be assumed as the Brookfield data was done by hand, though many measures were

taken as stated in the methods. The Bohlin data, if calibrated correctly, is extremely reliable and more

time efficient as the machine and computer program does the work for you. The Bohlin viscometer also

has the advantage of being able to vary at steady temperatures, opposed to the Brookfield that is done

at room temperature.

This lab is a testament to the need in engineering to have standard operating procedures for

testing products that will be on the market. Viscosity has implications far beyond the basic household

item we have data on. Take the canola oil and interchange it for car oil, an engineer needs to know the

effects of temperature on viscosity from engine start to operating temperature. That is a large value of

temperature change, and your engine needs the correct lubrication and viscous nature through the

entire range. Engineers can and will continue to use technology to research and further understand the

fluids of our everyday life to enhance our ability to live. The results of this lab are both repeatable and

reproducible in a similar lab, with a simple Brookfield viscometer and Excel sheets.

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 References

Al Shaghouri, A., Elhajj, I. H., & Asmar, D. (2022). Real-time measurement of viscosity using coplanar

capacitive sensor. 2022 IEEE International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference

(I2MTC). https://doi.org/10.1109/i2mtc48687.2022.9806454

Cengel, Y. A., & Cimbala, J. M. (2018). Glossary. In Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications (4th

ed.). essay, McGraw-Hill Education.

Putman, Matthew C., and Peter Richter. “The Use of Rheological Testing for Predicting

Processability.” Rubber World, vol. 236, no. 2, May 2007. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=edsbig&AN=edsbig.A164327317&site=eds-live&scope=site.

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