A scanning dual-capillary-tube viscometer

Abstract

The present study introduces the concept of a new scanning dual-capillary-tube viscometer (SDCV) for viscosity measurements of both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, including whole blood, over a wide range of shear rates. The flow rate and pressure drop measurements that are usually required for the operation of a capillary-tube viscometer are replaced with two measurements of liquid-height variation with time. Using a charge-coupled device sensor array, one could measure the variation of fluid levels at each riser tube, h1(t) and h2(t), from which the test fluid viscosity was calculated. The feasibility and accuracy of the SDCV technique has been demonstrated for a standard-viscosity oil and for bovine blood by comparing results against established viscosity measurement techniques. A power-law viscosity model was used to correlate the data for the latter. The dual-capillary-tube viscometer extends the shear rate range as low as 0.1 s-1 for both the viscosity of mineral oil (9.9 cP at 25°C) and bovine blood with 3% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid at room temperature. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.