Fluids Lab Manual 1
Fluids Lab Manual 1
Fluids Lab Manual 1
Viscosity Measurement
I. Introduction
One of the most important properties of fluid (liquid or gas) is viscosity. Viscosity, in effect, indicates
how fast a fluid deforms when subjected to a shear stress (force per unit area), with a high viscosity
resulting in a low deformation rate. If we pour heavy oil across a surface and we do the same with
water and compare spreading speeds, we should acquire a clear and consistent idea of their relative
viscosities. The slower moving oil is more viscous.
In material science the proportionality factor between shear stress and strain is the shear modulus. In
fluid mechanics, since a fluid deforms continuously, we deal with strain rates rather than strains, and we
define the proportionality factor between stress and strain rate as the absolute viscosity or dynamic
viscosity. For flow over a flat plate with the velocity u parallel to the surface, there is a negligible
velocity component normal to the surface, as shown in Fig. 1.
du
τ =µ (1)
dy
where τ is the shear stress, du/dy is the strain rate, and µ is the absolute viscosity. Fluids obeying this
relationship, which includes most common fluids, are called Newtonian fluids. A notable exception is
blood, and its non-Newtonian behavior is one of the challenges in simulation of blood flows.
Temperature has a strong influence on viscosity. For liquids, rising temperatures lower the
cohesive force between the molecules, lowering the viscosity. In contrast, temperature has the
opposite effect on gases. Shearing action between moving layers of gas is due to agitation of
gas particles rather than cohesive forces. Since high temperatures increase the activity of the
molecules and hence increase shearing forces, the viscosity of a gas rises with the increase in
temperature. The viscosity of gases is much smaller than liquids. Tables and charts in
handbooks and textbooks show how the absolute viscosity of various liquids and gases vary
with temperature.
Viscosity Units: For the SI system the primary absolute viscosity unit is N·s/m2, and for the English
system it is lbf·s/ft2. Many other secondary and common units are employed in either unit system.
Kinematic Viscosity: Kinematic viscosity is the ratio of the absolute viscosity to the density of the fluid at
the temperature at which the viscosity is measured.
ν = µ/ρ (2)
where ν is the kinematic viscosity, µ is the absolute viscosity, and ρ is the density of the fluid. The
primary units for kinematic viscosity in the SI and English systems are, respectively, m2/s and ft2/s.
The kinematic viscosity is much easier to measure than the absolute viscosity. The Saybolt Universal
Viscometer is the standard device used to measure kinematic viscosity. The viscometer contains tubes
with calibrated orifices followed by cork stoppers. A typical unit is shown in Fig. 2. The method of
testing is quite straightforward. The liquid to be measured (slightly more than 60 ml) is poured into a
tube and heated to a specified temperature. The cork is pulled out, and the time is measured for 60 ml
of liquid to flow through the orifice into a calibrated vessel. The time to fill the vessel is known as
Saybolt Universal Seconds.
Figure 2. A Saybolt viscometer (Koehler, Inc.) and its internal schematic (Engine Mechanics,
Integrated Publishing, www.tpub.com/content/engine/14105/css/14105_36.htm)
There is a direct relationship between the Saybolt universal seconds and the kinematic viscosity:
b
ν = at − (3)
t
where ν is the kinematic viscosity in m2/s, t is the time to fill the 60 ml flask in seconds, Saybolt universal
seconds, and a and b are constants depending on the range of measured Saybolt seconds, as provided
below:
a = 2.20 ×10 −7 m 2 / s 2
1.80 ×10 −4 m 2 if t < 50 s
. (4)
b = 1.95 ×10 −4 m 2 if 50 < t < 100 s
1.35 ×10 −4 m 2 if t > 100 s
The specific gravity of the liquid can be measured with a hydrometer, and the density calculated using a
value of the density of water, which is given in Section V below. Based on the measured kinematic
viscosity together with the calculated density of the fluid, the absolute viscosity can be obtained by
using Eq. (2).
II. Objectives
III. Apparatus
IV. Procedure
5. Use a hydrometer to measure the specific gravities of the chosen oil samples.
6. Retain 65 ml of each oil sample and return the excess oils to their respective containers.
7. Fasten the corks supplied to the bottom of each tube and pour each sample into the tube
chosen. Sufficient liquid should be poured so that a slight overflow occurs and a meniscus is
formed.
8. Turn on the viscometer light using the switch on the left side of the panel.
9. The readout on the viscometer shows two temperatures in oC. The lower one, which is green, is
the set-point, or the desired temperature. The upper one, which is red, is the actual
temperature. Turn on the viscometer heater, which is controlled by the switch on the right side
of the panel.
10. Set the target viscometer temperature to 35 oC. Wait until the actual temperature reaches the
set point. It may waver by several tenths of a degree.
11. Pull each cork, starting each stopwatch as the cork is pulled. Align each flask such that the oil is
running into the center of the neck rather than running down the side. Stop each stopwatch
exactly when the level of the oil reaches the 60 ml mark and record the times.
Note that the necks fill faster than the bodies of the flasks, so keep careful watch once the liquid
levels approach the necks.
12. This time is known as Saybolt seconds and is the measure of the kinematic viscosity of the fluid
at this temperature. Record values below 200 Saybolt seconds to the nearest 0.1 s. Record
values of 200 s or higher to the nearest whole second.
13. Once all samples have been measured at this temperature, replace the corks and pour the oil
samples back into their respective tubes.
14. Use the toggle switch to adjust the set-point to the 50 oC. (It’s important to perform the
measurements starting at lower temperatures and increasing to higher temperatures, because it
takes much longer for the unit to cool down than to heat up.) Wait until the actual temperature
reaches the set-point.
15. Repeat steps 11 through 13 for the 50 oC temperature.
16. Adjust the set-point to 60 oC. Once it reaches equilibrium, repeat steps 11 and 12.
17. Drain any remaining oil from the viscometer tubes and dispose of the oil.
V. Results
6. For each oil sample, calculate the change (in percentage) of µ from its room temperature (or
base temperature) value, and plot on another graph the viscosity percentage change (along the
vertical axis) against the temperature (along the horizontal axis).