10/1/2020

Chapter 2: Viscosity of
Fluids
Ajaz Rashid

Viscosity

 Viscosity is a property of a fluid that measures the

resistance to movement of a very thin layer of fluid over
an adjacent one. This resistance occurs only when a
tangential or shear force is applied to the fluid

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Shear stress/Tangential stress

 an applied force per unit area needed to produce

deformation in a fluid
 the force acting parallel to the surface per unit area of
the surface.
 denoted by the Greek letter (tau), 𝜏, can be defined as
the force required to slide a unit area layer of a substance
over another

Shear stress/Tangential stress

fluid

A shearing force is applied to the top of the rectangle

while the bottom is held in place. The resulting shear
stress, deforms the rectangle into a parallelogram.

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Viscosity

 In everyday terms viscosity is “thickness”. Thus, water is

“thin” having a lower viscosity, while honey is “thick”
having a higher viscosity.
 Viscosity describes a fluid's internal resistance to flow and
may be thought of as a measure of fluid friction.
 All real fluids have some resistance to shear stress, but a
fluid which has no resistance to shear stress is known as
an ideal fluid.
 Viscosity is also known as Absolute Viscosity or Dynamic
Viscosity.

Effect of Viscosity

 Think: resistance to flow.

 𝑉 : fluid velocity
 𝑦 : distance from solid surface
 Rate of strain, 𝑑𝑉/𝑑𝑦 or 𝑑𝑢/𝑑𝑦
 𝜇 : dynamic viscosity [N.s/m2]
 𝜏: shear stress
Velocity distribution next
to a boundary

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Newton’s Law of Viscosity

stress ∝ rate of strain

𝑑𝑢
𝜏∝
𝑑𝑦

𝑑𝑢
𝜏=𝜇
𝑑𝑦

Units of Dynamic Viscosity

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Kinematic Viscosity

 Many calculations in fluid mechanics are based on the

ratio between the viscosity and the density of a fluid
 The kinematic viscosity 𝜈 is defined as “the ratio of
absolute viscosity to density.”

𝜇
𝜈=
𝜌

Units of Kinematic Viscosity

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Newtonian fluids
 A Newtonian fluid is where stress is directly proportional to rate
of strain, and (named for Isaac Newton) is a fluid that flows
like water, its stress versus rate of strain curve is linear and
passes through the origin. The constant of proportionality is
known as the viscosity.
 A simple equation to describe Newtonian fluid behavior is
𝑑𝑢
𝜏=𝜇
𝑑𝑦
 Examples: water, oil, gasoline, alcohol, kerosene, benzene,
glycerin etc.
 Viscosity is a function of condition of fluid (e.g., 𝑇). The
𝑑𝑢
magnitude of has no effect on the magnitude of viscosity.
𝑑𝑦

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Non-Newtonian fluids
 A Non-Newtonian fluid does not behave in accordance with
𝑑𝑢
𝜏=𝜇
𝑑𝑦
 Viscosity is dependent on both the velocity gradient and
condition of the fluid.
 Two types:
 Time-independent fluids (viscosity at any given shear stress
does not vary with time)
 Pseudoplastic or shear thinning or thixotropic
 Dilatant or shear thickening
 Bingham
 Time-dependent fluid (viscosity changes with time)

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Newtonian and Non-Newtonian fluids

𝑛
𝑑𝑢
𝜏=𝜇
𝑑𝑦

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Time-independent fluids
 Pseudoplastic or shear thinning or thixotropic:
 The curve begins steeply, indicating a high apparent viscosity.
Then the slope decreases with velocity gradient. (blood plasma,
latexes, syrups, molasses, inks, etc.)
 Dilatant or shear thickening:
 viscosity increases with shear rate (corn starch in ethyl glycol,
starch in water, titanium dioxide, glass particles in water,
gypsum-water mixtures).
 Bingham fluids:
 Need a significant level of shear stress before flow will begin.
Once flow starts, linear slop of the curve is observed.
(toothpaste, paint, asphalt, greases, sewage sludge, chocolate)

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Time-dependent fluids
 Time-dependent fluids are very difficult to analyze
because apparent viscosity varies with time as well as
with velocity gradient and temperature.

 Examples: printer ink, liquid nylon, some jellies, flour

dough, several polymer solutions, some crude oils at low
temperature etc.
rheopectic
Viscosity

thixotropic

Time
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Example 1

 Find the kinematic viscosity of liquid in stokes whose

specific gravity is 0.85 and dynamic viscosity is 0.015
poise.

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Example 1
 Solution:
𝜇 = 0.015 poise

𝜇 = 0.015 × 0.1Pa. s = 1.5 × 10−3 Pa. s

 We know that:
𝜌
𝑠𝑔 =
𝜌𝑤
𝜌 = 0.85 × 1000 = 850 𝑘𝑔/𝑚3
 We can find the Kinematic Viscosity as:
𝜇 1.5 × 10−3
𝜈= = = 1.76 × 10−6 𝑚2 /𝑠
𝜌 850
 Converting to Stokes
1.76 × 10−6 𝑚2 /𝑠 1 St
𝜈= อ = 1.76 × 10−2 St
1 × 10−4 𝑚2 /𝑠

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Example 2

 Two measurements of shear stress on a surface and the

rate of change in shear strain at the surface for a fluid
have been determined by experiment to be:
𝜏1 = 0.14 𝑁/𝑚2 , 𝑑𝑢Τ𝑑𝑦 1 = 13.63𝑠 −1 and

𝜏2 = 0.48 𝑁/𝑚2 , 𝑑𝑢Τ𝑑𝑦 2 = 153𝑠 −1 .

Classify the fluid as Newtonian or non-Newtonian.

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Example 2

 Solution:
 Applying Newton’s Law of viscosity.
𝑑𝑢
𝜏1 = 𝜇1 ⇒ 𝜇1 = 0.01027 Pa. s
𝑑𝑦 1

𝑑𝑢
𝜏2 = 𝜇 2 ⇒ 𝜇2 = 0.003137 Pa. s
𝑑𝑦 2
 Since 𝜇1 ≠ 𝜇2 then the viscosity is not constant. Hence,
the fluid is non-Newtonian.

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Variation of Viscosity with Temperature

 For liquids, viscosity decreases with Temperature

 For gases, viscosity increases with Temperature

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Viscosity Index

 A measure of how greatly the viscosity of a fluid changes with

temperature

 This is especially important for lubricating oils and hydraulic

fluids used in equipment that must operate at wide extremes of
temperature.

 A fluid with a high viscosity index exhibits a small change in

viscosity with temperature. A fluid with a low viscosity index
exhibits a large change in viscosity with temperature.

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Viscosity Index

 The general form of the equation is:

𝐿−𝑈
𝑉𝐼 = × 100
𝐿−𝐻
 Where
 𝑈 = kinematic viscosity at 40 oC of the test oil
 𝐿 = kinematic viscosity at 40 oC of a standard oil of 0 VI having the
same viscosity at 100 oC as the test oil
 𝐻 = kinematic viscosity at 40 oC of a standard oil of 100 VI having
the same viscosity at 100 oC as the test oil
 The values of 𝐿 and 𝐻 can be found from references.

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Viscosity Index
Special case where each oil has
the same value of kinematic
viscosity of 400 mm2/s at 20 oC

FIGURE 2.5 Typical viscosity index curves.

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Viscosity Index

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Viscosity Index

 Lubricants and hydraulic fluids with a high 𝑉𝐼 should be

used in engines, machinery and construction equipment
used outdoors where temperatures vary over wide rages.

 The higher values of 𝑉𝐼 are obtained by blending oils with

high paraffin content or by adding special polymers that
increase 𝑉𝐼 while maintaining good lubricating properties
and good performance in engines, pumps, valves and
actuators.

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Viscosity Measurement

 Many different instruments for measuring viscosity

 Most common are:
 Rotating Drum Viscometer
 Capillary Tube Viscometer
 U-tube Viscometer
 Falling Ball Viscometer
 Saybolt Universal Viscometer

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Rotating Drum Viscometer

 The outer cup is held stationary

 The motor rotates the inner drum
 A known velocity is set up in the fluid
 The shear stress required for strain rate
is measured
 Viscosity is calculated from the known
shear stress and strain rate

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Capillary Tube Viscometer

 Two reservoirs are connected by a long, thin capillary tube

 As the fluid flows, there is some pressure drop in the tube

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Capillary Tube Viscometer

 The viscosity is calculated as a function of the pressure

drop in the tube
 The pressure drop is measured using a manometer
 Viscosity is given as:
∆𝑝. 𝐷2
𝜇=
32𝑢𝐿
 where ∆𝑝 is the pressure drop, 𝐷 is the tube diameter,
𝑢 is the fluid velocity and 𝐿 is the length of the tube
between the points where pressure drop is measured

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U-tube Viscometer

 The test fluid is sucked into the u-tube

viscometer
 Then it is allowed to fall under gravity
 The time required for the level of the fluid to
pass between the two etched lines is measured
 Kinematic viscosity is measured using equation
like:
𝜈 =𝐾×𝑡
 where 𝐾 is a constant provided by manufacturer

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Falling Ball Viscometer

 If a body falls in a fluid under the influence

of gravity, it accelerates until downward
force (weight) is equal to the upward force
(buoyancy and drag force)
 At this point, its velocity becomes constant
and is called the terminal velocity
 The falling ball viscometer is based on this
principle

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Falling Ball Viscometer

 𝐹𝐺 = 𝛾𝑠 𝑉 = 𝛾𝑠 . 𝜋𝐷3 /6
 𝐹𝐵 = 𝛾𝑓 𝑉 = 𝛾𝑓 . 𝜋𝐷3 /6
 For viscous fluids and small velocities FB= Buoyancy

 𝐹𝐷 = 3𝜋𝜇𝑢𝐷 FD =Drag

 The force balance gives us:

𝐹𝐺 = 𝐹𝐵 + 𝐹𝐷
FG = Weight
Or
𝛾𝑠 − 𝛾𝑓 𝐷2
𝜇=
18𝑢

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Falling Ball Viscometer

 Velocity is measured by noting the time

required for the ball to travel a fixed
distance
 Liquid must be transparent for ball to be
visible
 Several types and sizes of balls are
available to use with different fluids
 Balls are usually made of stainless steel,
nickel-iron alloy and glass

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Saybolt Universal Viscometer

 Fluid flows through a small orifice.

 After steady flow from orifice is established,
 The time required to collect 60 mL of fluid is
measured.
 The resulting time is reported as the
kinematic viscosity of the fluid in Saybolt
Universal seconds (SUS).
 The results are relative because standard
units for viscosity are not used.

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Saybolt Universal Viscometer

 Above 75 mm2/s, the
equation is:
𝑆𝑈𝑆 = 4.632 𝜈
 For a fluid at 210 oF, the
equation is:
𝑆𝑈𝑆 = 4.664 𝜈

 The equations are for the

straight line portion of the
graph

Kinematic viscosity 𝜈 in SUS versus 𝜈

in mm2/s at 100 oF.

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Saybolt Universal Viscometer

 SUS value for any other temperature in oF can be found
by multiplying the SUS value for 37.8 oC (100 oF) by the
factor 𝐴.

 The factor is given by:

𝐴 = 6.061 × 10−5 . 𝑇 + 0.994

 And the SUS at any temperature 𝑇 can be found by:

𝑆𝑈𝑆ቚ = 𝐴 × 𝑆𝑈𝑆ቚ
𝑇 100℉

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