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US 6,470,736 B2Granted
Apparatus and method for capillary viscometry of fluids
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorBrian G. Price
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for determining viscosity of a low viscous fluid. A narrow tube samples a fluid sample. The apparatus or capillary viscometer determines viscosity within average relative deviation of less than 2% over a range of viscosity greater than two decades by mass flow rate. The apparatus includes a glass capillary viscometer with thermal jacket, balance with serial interface, and software for computer interface.
Claims17
An apparatus for determining viscosity of a fluid, comprising:
- an elongated tube for sampling a fluid, said elongated tube having a fluid inlet orifice and a fluid outlet orifice and wherein said elongated tube has a length L determined by the relations
- L≈1/100(ρ/μ)2gD4, wherein:
- ρ is the fluid density;
- μ is the fluid viscosity;
- g is the acceleration due to gravity;
- and,
- D is the diameter of the tube;
- a fluid sample container arranged beneath said elongated tube for receiving a sample of fluid exiting said fluid outlet orifice of said elongated tube;
- means for supporting said fluid sample container, said means for supporting providing a plurality of weights of said sample of fluid;
- and,
- a computer operably connected to said means for supporting, said computer comprising a computer readable program for enabling said computer to receive digital signals representing said plurality of weights from said means for supporting and then interpreting said digital signals as a measure of viscosity of said sample of fluid.
8 more elements
A method of measuring viscosity of a fluid, comprising the steps of:
- introducing a fluid sample having a temperature (t) into an elongated tube;
- controlling said temperature (t) of said fluid sample in said elongated tube;
- determining a plurality of weights of said fluid sample passing through said elongated tube and collected from said elongated tube, wherein said step of determining a plurality of weights further comprising the step of using a variable sampling interval for sampling said plurality of weights and for determining a duration of said variable sampling interval;
- and,
- converting said plurality of weights of said fluid sample into a measure of viscosity of said fluid sample.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.