A Graduation Project Report

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

By

MER KALDIRIM

Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Architecture Yeditepe University January 2011, Istanbul, Turkey

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

By

MER KALDIRIM

DATE OF APPROVAL: 17 January 2011

APPROVED BY:

Thesis Supervisor

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hojin Ahn

Department of Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and Architecture Yeditepe University January 2011, Istanbul, Turkey

DEDICATION

To my mother and father Esther and Osman Kaldrm

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It would not have been possible to write this graduation project report without the help and support of the people around me. It is not possible to mention here all of whom have helped and supported. Above all, I would like to thank my parents, brothers and sisters, who have shown great patience at all times, and always believed in me and have supported and motivated me throughout my entire life. This project report would not have been possible without; the help, support and guidance of my project supervisor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hojin Ahn, who has shown incredible patience and discipline. I would also like to acknowledge and extend my heartfelt gratitude to the following persons who have made the completion of my university education and this graduation project report possible: Asst. Prof. Dr. (Esra Sorgven ner) for the encouragement, guidance and inspiration Asst. Prof. Dr. (Namk Cblak), who is a great listener and is very knowledgeable, for his advices, encouragement and guidance. Asst. Prof. Dr. (Koray K. afak) for pushing me to study and complete my university education. Asst. Prof. Dr. (Fethi Okyar) for the guidence and support. Prof. Dr. Nilfer Erican for her guidence and support. I would like to acknowledge the academic and technical support of the Yeditepe University and its staff. The library, the department laboratory and the machine shop have been indispensible in completing my project. I also thank the head of the department Prof. Dr. Mehmet A. Akgn.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

iii

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

I am most grateful to Mr. Gltekin nar from ENERGAZ, for his guidence and encouragement when i most needed it. His guidence and encouragement has helped me complete my school. I would like thank Mr. Serkan Zeren for checking up on the progress of my project and for helping me. I would also like to thank the Chemical Engineering department for helping me locate and purchase the necessary components for my project. Also i would like to thank the technical instructor Mr. Sadk Torlak from the machine shop and Mahmut Ylmaz for their help during the assembly of this device. I would also like to thank Turul Han for his help during the calibration steps of the project.

For any errors or inadequacies that may remain in this work, ofcourse, the responsibility is entirely my own.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

iv

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

ABSTRACT

This graduation project was done in order to measure the viscosity of any given fluid. The purpose was to design and assemble a viscometer then to calibrate it.

Initially literature survey was done in order to determine the length and diameter of the tubes. Once determined the tubes were ordered. Then a tank was manufactured from a Plexiglass cylinder and two aluminum plates. Then a pressure chamber was purchased to deliver pressure to the tank to compensate for the decrease. Fittings and tubes were purchased to connect the pressure chamber to the tank.

Once assembly was completed, the calibration of the diameters of the capillary tubes provided by a manufacturer was conducted using water. An equation was derived using the fluid mechanics text book and other sources. The correction factors were included. Then the procedures were repeated 6 times for each tube to obtain the accurate result. After taking 6 mass, time and height measurements for both tubes, the diameters for each measurement were calculated. Then an average diameter for either tube was determined. Using this average diameter the viscosity of the water was calculated for each measurement.

The result of this project is that the device was assembled and calibrated. After using the calibrated values the device gave accurate viscosity value up to 6 decimals for the water.

In conclusion the viscosity of all fluids could be accurately determined by testing with this device for any of the calibrated tubes.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

ZET

Bu mezuniyet projesi herhangi verilen bir akiskanin akma direncini lmek iin yaplmtr. Bu projenin amac bir viscometre tasarlamak ve bunun montajn yapmak. Ardndan da kalibrasyonunu yapmak. ncelikle viscometrenin cam kapiller borularnn ap ve uzunluk llerini saptamak iin aratrmalar yapld. ller kararlatrlnca borularn siparii verildi. Sonra plexiglass silindir ve 2 adet aleminyum plaka kullanarak bir depo imal edildi. Sonrada basn dn dengelemek iin bir basnl kap alnmtr. Basnl kap ile depoyu birbirne baglayabilmek iin balant paralar ve hortumlar satn alnd. Montaj tamamlannca, su kullanarak imalatdan gelen cam tlerin kalibrasyonu yapld. Akkanlar mekanii kitabi ve baka kaynaklar kullanlarak viskosite denklemi retildi. Bu denkleme dorultma faktrleri de eklendi. Sonrada doru sonular elde edebilmek iin deney prosedrleri her iki tp iin alt kere tekrarland. Her iki tp iin altar tane ktle, zaman ve ykseklik ls kaydedildikten sonra her lm iin ap hesaplandi. Sonrada bu aplarn ortalamas alnd. Bu ortalama kullanlarak suyun viskositesi her bir prosedr iin hesapland. Bu projenin neticesinde cihaz montaj ve kalibrasyonu yapld. Kalibre edilmi aplar kullannca cihaz su iin 6. ondala kadar doru sonu verdi. Sonu olarak bu cihaz iki kalibre edilmi cam kapiller borudan herhangi biri ile, btn svlarn viskositesini net ve doru olarak lebilir.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

vi

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

TABLE OF CONTENT

DEDICATION ............................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................v ZET .............................................................................................................................................. vi TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................................................ vii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................................ ix LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................x LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................... xi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................1 1.1 Kinetic Energy Correction Factor .................................................................................. 7

LITERATURE SURVEY ..............................................................................................................12 EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND PROCEDURE ..........................................................................14 1.2 1.3 Experimental Setup ......................................................................................................... 14 Procedure ........................................................................................................................ 20 3.2.1. Calibration ..................................................................................................... 20 Viscosity measurement ............................................................................................ 21

1.3.1 1.3.2

DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ............................................................................22 1.4 Calibration ...................................................................................................................... 22 Sample Calculation .................................................................................................. 24

1.4.1 1.5

Viscosity Measurement ................................................................................................... 24

vii

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

FUTURE WORK ...........................................................................................................................26 CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................27 REFERENCE .................................................................................................................................28 BIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................................................29

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

viii

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Flow behavior development (laminar flow)..................................................................... 1 Figure 2: Velocity profiles of flow types within pipes .................................................................... 2 Figure 3: Dye injection into a flow .................................................................................................. 3 Figure 4: Laminar flow .................................................................................................................... 3 Figure 5: Transitional flow .............................................................................................................. 3 Figure 6: Turbulent flow ................................................................................................................. 4 Figure 7: All three flow behaviors observed using UV dye ............................................................ 4 Figure 8: U-tube viscometer ............................................................................................................ 6 Figure 9: Capillary Tube Viscometer sketch ................................................................................... 8 Figure 10: U-tube Viscometer ....................................................................................................... 12 Figure 11: Capillary Tube Viscometer .......................................................................................... 13 Figure 12: (1.1mmx8mx750mm) capillary tube ........................................................................... 14 Figure 13: (2.2mmx8mmx750mm) capillary tube ........................................................................ 14 Fgure 14: Bolt for the Capillary tubes .......................................................................................... 15 Figure 15: Bottom Aluminum plate .............................................................................................. 15 Figure 16: Plexiglass ..................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 17: Top cover of the viscometer tank ................................................................................. 17 Figure 18: Pressure chamber ......................................................................................................... 18 Figure 19: Viscometer ................................................................................................................... 19

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

ix

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Properties of the fluid used during calibration ................................................................ 22 Table 2: Recorded and calculated data from calibration of the 2.2 mm tube ................................ 22 Table 3: Recorded and calculated data from calibration of the 1.1 mm tube ................................ 23 Table 4: Kinetic Energy Correction factor from ........................................................................... 23 Table 5: Viscosity of the fluid from procedure 1 using the 2.2mm diameter tube ........................ 25 Table 6: Viscosity of the fluid from procedure 1 using the 1.1mm diameter tube ........................ 25

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS

=Volumetric Flow Rate D=Inner Diameter of the tube Do=Outer Diameter of the tube P=Pressure Difference h=Height of water level in the tank t=Time Measured from Chronometer A=Cross Sectional Area of the tube Dt=Diameter of the Tank V=Velocity of the fluid f=Friction Factor =Density of the fluid =Dynamic Viscosity of the fluid Re=Reynolds Number g=Gravitational Acceleration L=Length of the Tube

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

xi

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

INTRODUCTION

The objectives of this project are as follows: To design a capillary tube viscometer with two different diameter capillary tubes. To derive an equation, which is capable of calculating the viscosity of any given fluid using the measurement values from this viscometer. To calibrate the viscometer using both tubes. As a fluid flows through pipes it tends to stick to the inner surface of the pipe due to the viscous effects and the friction.

Figure 1: Flow behavior development (laminar flow) The magnitude of this effect determines the behavior of the flow. From the fluid mechanics it is known that the behavior is determined by using the Reynolds Number. The Reynolds Number Equation is as follows;

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Where; Re=Reynolds number (dimensionless) =density of fluid(kg/m3) V=average velocity of the flow (m/s) D=diameter of the tube (m) =dynamic viscosity of the fluid (kg/(m*s))

Depending on the result of this equation the behavior of the fluid flow is classified as either Laminar or Turbulent. The laminar flow is calm and orderly, while the turbulent flow is chaotic. The laminar type occurs in high viscosity fluids at low velocity flows. The turbulent flow occurs in low viscosity fluids at high velocity flows. The flow that alternates between laminar and turbulent is called transitional flow.

Figure 2: Velocity profiles of flow types within pipes The behavior of the fluid flow through pipes is considered laminar if the Reynolds Number is below 2300 and turbulent when the Reynolds Number is above 4000. Between these two values the fluid flow behavior is considered as Transitional flow. The flow behaviors could be observed by a simple experiment, which was first done by the British Engineer Osborne Reynolds, which is to inject a dye in to the flowing fluid. Observing the flow of the dye in the fluid will show the actual characteristic of the flow behavior.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Figure 3: Dye injection into a flow The result of this experiment shows that when the flow is laminar the dye forms a straight and smooth line similar to figure 4.

Figure 4: Laminar flow And in a transitional flow the dye has bursts of fluctuations, similar to figure 5, due to the fluctuation of the Reynolds number.

Figure 5: Transitional flow

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

In a high velocity fully turbulent flow, the dye zigzags rapidly and randomly.

Figure 6: Turbulent flow

Figure 7: All three flow behaviors observed using UV dye

One of the main factors involved in determining the flow behavior is the resistance of the fluid to flow. The fluid is affected by the shear stress and deforms. And the shear stress could be defined as;

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

And the shear stress in one dimensional shear flow of a Newtonian fluid can be defined as;

Where, u, is the velocity , the viscosity. There are several methods used to determine the viscosity of a fluid. The devices used are either called, viscometers or rheometers. Rheometers are used in fluids which canned be defined by a single value of viscosity and therefore require more parameters to be set. In some fluids the viscosity is constant regardless of their shear rates. These fluids are called Newtonian fluids. And in some fluids the viscosity cannot be described by a single number due to the various correlations between shear stress and shear rate. These fluids are called nonNewtonian fluids. The most commonly used viscometer is the glass capillary viscometer. This device helps measure the kinematic viscosity. There are other devices used to measure viscosity, such as; the Stormer Viscometer; which uses load-based rotation to measure the viscosity, the Vibrating viscometers; which such as Dynatrol use vibration to measure the viscosity, Ostwald viscometer (U-tube viscometer); measure the viscosity by timing the volume change in both sides of the U-tube.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Figure 8: U-tube viscometer The viscometer used in this project is the glass capillary tube viscometer. The viscosity is measured by measuring the weight of the fluid after each flow and recording the elapsed time. Also the pressures of both the tank and the atmosphere pressure must be measured. From fluid mechanics the Bernoulli Equation of a steady incompressible flow is known as;

The equation above does not include the Kinetic energy correction factor or the friction effects.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

1.1

Kinetic Energy Correction Factor

The correction factor is inserted in to the equation due to the fact that the kinetic energy obtained from is not the same as the actual kinetic energy. This comes from the fact that the

square of a sum is now equal to the sum of the squares of the components. So the error is corrected using the correction factor. The correction factor could be calculated as; ( )[ ( ) ] ( )

The average Kinetic Energy is as follows;

Combining the two equations yields; ( ( ) )

The correction factor is taken as 2 in fully developed laminar pipe flow, while in fully developed turbulent flow it is taken between the values of 1.04 and 1.11. When this is added in to the equation the equation becomes as follows; ( ) ( )

And from the conservation of mass it is known that

So Equation 8 becomes as follows;

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Adding the friction effects the equation becomes as follows;

The capillary tube viscometer is as follows;

Figure 9: Capillary Tube Viscometer sketch By adapting the equation 11 to this sketch, the equation transforms in to,

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

It is known that; P1=Pt P2=Pa z1=Ht+L z2=0 V1=0 ( * ( ) ( )

Where;

The loss due to the pressure and the loss due to the entrance of the tube are added in to the equation 14. ( * ( ) ( )

Rearranging the equation 16 yields; ( ) ( ( )) (( ) )

The frictional pressure loss for circular tubes is known as;

Inserting Equation 18 in to Equation 17;

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

))

((

From Fluid Mechanics it is known that; Rearranging equation 20 yields;

Inserting equation 21 into equation 19 yields; ( ( ) ( ( )) ( Rearranging equation 22 yields; ( ) ( ( )) (( ) ) ( ) ) * ( *

Rearranging equation 23 yields; ( ) ( ( )) (( ) )

This equation will be used to first calculate the Diameter of the tube in order to calibrate the viscometer. Once the calibration is complete it will then be used to calculate the viscosity. Rearranging equation 24 to calculate the diameter of a tube; ( ( ) )) ,

( ( (

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

10

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Rearranging equation 24 to calculate the viscosity of the fluid; ) ( ))

((

((

)+

Rearranging equation 26; ( ) ( ) (( ) *

Both equations 25 and 27 give the required values for this experiment.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

11

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

LITERATURE SURVEY

The viscosity of fluids is an important knowledge in designing machines or conducting experiments. In literature several devices have been used to measure the viscosity, such as the Utube viscometer, the rotational viscometer, the capillary tube viscometer. The U-tube viscometer is produced by several companies such as Cannon Instrument Company and ThermoFisher Scientific. The U-tube viscometer is a U tube capillary glass with two bulbs at different heights at opposite sides of the tube. The figure below shows the U-tube viscometer;

Figure 10: U-tube Viscometer The fluid in the lower bulb is sucked then released in to the top bulb. The volume between the two markings A and B is known. So the time it takes for the fluid to clear the marking B is

recorded. Using this time the kinematic viscosity is calculated. The rotational viscometers are devices that measure the torque required to rotate an object which has been placed in a fluid.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

12

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

The capillary tube viscometers are devices that are used to determine the viscosity by measuring the height, mass and time it takes a fluid to flow through a vertical capillary tube. The capillary tube viscometer is as shown in the figure;

Figure 11: Capillary Tube Viscometer As seen in the figure 11 the fluid flows through a capillary tube. The tank above has certain pressure. The pressure is measured. The height of the fluid in the tank is measured. The time it takes the fluid to flow through the capillary tube is measured and the mass of the fluid at the end of the measurement is recorded. Using these measured values the viscosity is calculated. So the viscosity is a function of these recorded properties. There are several other capillary tube viscometers with various tube lengths and diameters. The diameters and lengths of the tubes were selected using previously built viscometers. The optimum length and diameters were selected. Using small diameters would extend the time for the experiment while selecting large diameters would have large errors in the measurements. A project report from California Institute of Technology was used to select the diameters, the shape of the viscometer. And the Fluid Mechanics text books were used to derive an equation to determine the viscosity using the obtained measurements.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

13

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND PROCEDURE

1.2

Experimental Setup

In this project two capillary tubes with different diameters were selected to measure the viscosity of the fluid. The tubes were ordered as the specified below;

Figure 12: (1.1mmx8mx750mm) capillary tube

Figure 13: (2.2mmx8mmx750mm) capillary tube These tubes were glued in to two different bolts with equal diameters. Holes were drilled through the bolts in order to place these tubes.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

14

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Fgure 14: Bolt for the Capillary tubes Two aluminum plates were cut and holes were drilled. The bottom plate is as shown in the figure below:

Figure 15: Bottom Aluminum plate

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

15

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

The tubes are then screwed in to the center hole of the aluminum plate. Then a Plexiglass tube was used as a tank which was placed over the plate.

Figure 16: Plexiglass After the plexiglass is placed then the top lid is placed, which is also aluminum.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

16

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Figure 17: Top cover of the viscometer tank The two center holes were drilled in order to supply the fluid and to pressurize the tank. The four other holes on the four corners are to keep to viscometer tank together using bolts. The Plexiglass tank is pressurized using a compressor which is connected to a pressure chamber. The pressure chamber helps keeping the pressure in the tank stable. As the water level decreases the pressure level also decreases. In order to compensate for the pressure decrease the pressure chamber is used.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

17

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

The pressure chamber used in this experiment is as shown in the figure below;

Figure 18: Pressure chamber

A chronometer and a sensitive scale are used to measure the time and the weight of the fluid.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

18

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Figure 19: Viscometer

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

19

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

1.3

Procedure

1.3.1 3.2.1. Calibration First the Plexiglass is placed in between the aluminum plates and they are screwed together. Then the bolt with the small diameter tube is screwed in to the bottom of the plate. Then the chronometer is prepared. A flask is weighed so the initial weight is known. Open all the valves so the tank pressure is equal to the atmosphere pressure. Then the tank is filled using a funnel. Then stop the vibration in the tube. Place the empty flask right near the bottom end of the tube. Then start the chronometer, measure the fluid height and place the flask right under the tube simultaneously. Then after a set time move the flask and stop the chronometer at the same time. Weigh the flask with the fluid. Subtract the empty flask weight from the second weight. Record the weight and the elapsed time and the height of the water. Then repeat these steps 4 times to calibrate. Then repeat the entire procedure for the tube with the greater diameter.

After recording all the measurements use the equation 25 to calculate the diameter for each measurement. Then take an average diameter for both of the tubes.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

20

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

1.3.2 Viscosity measurement First the Plexiglass is placed in between the aluminum plates and they are screwed together. Then the bolt with the small diameter tube is screwed in to the bottom of the plate. Then the chronometer is prepared. A flask is weighed so the initial weight is known. Open all the valves so the tank pressure is equal to the atmosphere pressure. Then the tank is filled using a funnel. Then stop the vibration in the tube. Place the empty flask right near the bottom end of the tube. Then start the chronometer, measure the fluid height and place the flask right under the tube simultaneously. Then after a set time move the flask and stop the chronometer at the same time. Weigh the flask with the fluid. Subtract the empty flask weight from the second weight. Record the weight and the elapsed time and the height of the water. Then repeat these steps 9 times to determine the viscosity. Then repeat the entire procedure for the tube with the greater diameter.

After recording all the measurements use the equation 27 to calculate the viscosity for each measurement. Insert the diameter values collected from the first procedure. Then take an average of the viscosities for both of the tubes.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

21

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

This experiment was done using 2 different tubes with the diameters; 1.1mm and 2.2 mm. Due to the fact that manufacturing long tubes accurately with the given diameters is impossible. So the calibration step is mandatory. After calibrating once there is no need to calibrate again. After calibrating the diameter can be determined. And just implementing the average diameter value the viscosity could be calculated. 1.4 Calibration

The fluid used to calibrate the viscometer is water. The properties of the water at the given conditions are as follows; Table 1: Properties of the fluid used during calibration
Density (kg/m^3) 998 Viscosity (kg/m*s) 0,001002

Temperature (C) 20

The table below shows the measurements recorded and calculated during calibration process. Table 2: Recorded and calculated data from calibration of the 2.2 mm tube
Total Mass (g) Mass of glass (g) Mass of Fluid (g) time (s) 36,5 30,9 32,8 35,3 33,3 35,8 mass flow rate (kg/s) 0,00469 0,00473 0,00466 0,00459 0,00454 0,00466 Ht (cm) 3,6 4,8 4,8 3,6 4,8 5,55 Dang diameter (mm) 2,148 2,145 2,136 2,135 2,121 2,131 2,136

test # 1 2 3 4 5 6

Re 2772,9 2800,6 2769,6 2729,7 2720,5 2777,1

291,800 120,7 171,1 267,000 120,9 146,1 273,506 120,81 152,696 282,626 120,714 161,912 271,931 120,71 151,221 287,466 120,713 166,753

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

22

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Table 3: Recorded and calculated data from calibration of the 1.1 mm tube
Total Mass (g) 147,435 Mass of glass (g) 120,77 Mass of Fluid (g) 26,665 20,212 time (s) 45,6 35,5 mass flow rate (kg/s) 0,000584 0,000569 Ht (cm) 4,1 6,6 diameter (mm) 1,2391 1,2212

test #

Re

1 2

599,7 592,4

140,927 120,715

140,611 120,711

19,9

36,1

0,000551

3,9

1,2215

573,5

142,488

120,87

21,618

37,5

0,000576

6,9

1,2240

598,5

140,079 120,001

20,078

33,4

0,000601

5,9

1,2409

615,6

143,798

121,07

22,728

40,2

0,000565

5,2 Davg

1,2243 1,228

586,8

Also the correction factor which is used could be found in the table below; Table 4: Kinetic Energy Correction factor from
Minimum Maximum Average Regular channels, flumes, spillways Natural streams and torrents River under ice cover 1,10 1,20 1,15

1,15

1,50

1,30

1,20

2,00

1,50

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

23

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

River valley, over flooded

1,50

2,00

1,75

The Reynolds numbers for each measurement can be found in Tables 2 and 3. The Reynolds numbers for the measurements using the 2.2mm tube are greater than 2300 which makes the flow Transient or Turbulent. This means that the correction factors used in the calibration step are not valid so the calibrated diameter is false. But the Reynolds numbers that have been calculated for the measurements with the 1.1mm diameter are all below 2300 which means the flow is laminar. The Kinetic energy correction factor for the fully developed laminar flow is taken as 2 and the entrance loss (Kent) is taken as 0.24. And the gravitational acceleration was taken as g=9,80665 m/s^2. 1.4.1 Sample Calculation Using the values and properties above, the diameter could be calculated. The values are inserted in to the equation 25;

( ( ) ( (

) ))

After completing the calculations the value below is obtained; D=0.002148m=2.148mm

1.5

Viscosity Measurement

After applying the second procedure the viscosity could be calculated using the equation 27. The viscosity calculated using the measurements from the first part and using the average diameter are given in the table below:

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

24

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

Table 5: Viscosity of the fluid from procedure 1 using the 2.2mm diameter tube
viscosity (kg/m*s) 0,0009766 0,0009827 0,0010024 0,0010041 0,0010345 0,0010124 0,001002

Test # 1 2 3 4 5 6 Average Viscosity

As seen from the table the average viscosity is nearly equal to the viscosity given in the property tables of fluid mechanics course books.

Table 6: Viscosity of the fluid from procedure 1 using the 1.1mm diameter tube
Test # 1 2 3 4 5 6 Average viscosity viscosity (kg/m*s) 0,000967 0,001026 0,001025 0,0010171 0,0009619 0,0010159 0,001002

Both tubes gave the correct viscosity result for water. The values are correct up to 6 decimals.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

25

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

FUTURE WORK

This project could be continued using a pressure transducer and the pressure chamber to add pressure in to the tank. A new hole must be drilled to be able to place the pressure transducer. Once the pressure is added the P1 value will change from room pressure to the applied pressure. As the fluid level decreases the pressure will also decrease. So in order to keep the pressure constant, instantaneous pressure must be measured. These small pressure decreases must be added in to the equation. Adding the pressure in to the tank will decrease the test time by increasing the flow velocity. Increasing the flow velocity will make it possible to test fluids with high viscosity values.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

26

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

CONCLUSION

The goal of this project was to design and assemble a viscometer and to calibrate the device using the experimental procedures specified. The design and production of the capillary tube viscometer was initially completed. Then the necessary derivations were made and an equation was produced. Then using the equation the viscometer was calibrated. An average diameter was calculated for both tubes. Then using these diameters the viscosity was calculated. Using the explained steps an accurate

viscosity was calculated. The viscosity calculated was very similar to the value given in the literature The Reynolds Numbers for all measurements with both tubes were calculated in order to make sure the selected correction factors are valid for all diameters. The Reynolds Numbers for the flow measurements through the 1.1 mm tube are below 2300 which makes the calibrated diameter valid. But the Reynolds numbers for the flow measurements through the 2.2 mm tube are between 2300-4000 which means the flow is transient. So the correction factor is not valid and the diameters are all false. So the calibration of the 2.2 mm diameter tube is not completed. Using this device with the calibrated diameter values will give an actual viscosity for each and every fluid at any temperature which the plexiglass could sustain. Further experimenting by pressurizing the tank is possible. This would help decrease the time it takes the fluid to flow through the capillary tube.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

27

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

REFERENCE

[1] http://nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/IIT-MADRAS/Hydraulics/pdfs/Unit6/6_1.pdf [2] Chow Van Te Open Channel Hydraulics, McGraw Hill Publications, 1958 [3] http://www.cheric.org/PDF/KJR/KR07/KR07-3-0261.pdf [4] http://www.brookfieldengineering.com/education/viscosity_whymeasure.asp [5] Yunus A. engel-John M. Cimbala, Fluid Mechanics Fundamentals and Applications, McGraw Hill Publications, 2006 [6] John G. Webster, The Measurement, Instrumentation and Sensors Handbook.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

28

THE DESIGN AND CALIBRATION OF A CAPILLARY TUBE VISCOMETER

KALDIRIM

BIOGRAPHY

I was born and brought up in Istanbul, Turkey. Ours is a family of nine, with my parents my two older brothers, an older sister, two younger brothers and a younger sister. My father is from Kayseri, and my mother is from the United States. The schooling years of my life were successful till the beginning of my university. Adapting to a new education system was difficult. Having to study more than being used to was difficult. Adding the fact that the University application examination system prevented me from learning many important and major classes during my high school years which were not thought in the university, made it very difficult learning the new and advanced subjects in the University. So starting behind on mathematics and physics was very challenging, especially because my major is in Mechanical Engineering. After struggling with core classes it was not that difficult to eventually learn all necessary subjects. During the final 2 years of my university I decided I must finish as soon as possible with the highest grade point average I could manage to earn. So I ended up trying to fix the damages. I had entered this department reluctantly. This was due to the fact that I had no idea about the wide range of alternative industries a mechanical engineer could work in. I worked as an intern on the worlds 45th deepest oil drilling rig for 3 weeks. The experience I gained from this was amazing. I actually enjoyed field work. This was the main thing that had motivated me to work harder and harder. I just wish I had gone to this internship earlier. Now I look forward to get my masters and hopefully my Ph.D. I have decided to study Petroleum Engineering as a masters program. I am also looking forward to get my Ph.D. in the same subject.

Dept. of Mech. Eng., Yeditepe Univ.

29