Patent ID: 6439034
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: G01F,G01N

Abstract:
An acoustic viscometer for determining both the kinematic viscosity and the intrinsic viscosity of a liquid comprising:an acoustic wave generator; a transmitting piezoelectric transducer operably connected to the acoustic wave generator and positioned so as to be in contact with the liquid so as to propagate a longitudinal wave of known frequency through the liquid; a receiving piezoelectric transducer, spaced apart from the transmitting piezoelectric transducer and in contact with liquid, so as to detect the longitudinal, wave and a corresponding shear wave propagated through the liquid in terms of liquid density; and a phase-shift detector operably connected to the transmitting piezoelectric transducer and the receiving piezoelectric transducer to measure a difference in phase between the longitudinal wave propagated by the transmitting piezoelectric transducer and the longitudinal and shear wave detected by the receiving piezoelectric transducer, the difference in phase used to determine the velocity of the shear wave, and the kinematic viscosity and the intrinsic viscosity of the liquid in terms of liquid density.