Device for measuring the viscosity of a fluid

• US 6,073,483 A
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 06/13/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Systemes
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Systemes
• Inventors: Nitecki, Jean-Pierre, Siri, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Politzer, Jay L.
• Application Number:
  US09/201,584
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 73/54.01, 73/54.13, 73/54.05, 73/54.06, 73/54.02, 73/54.09, 73/861, 73/861.19, 73/195, 73/196, 73/197, 73/198, 73/861.52, 73/54.04
• US Class Current: 73/54.05
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3227 using fluidic oscillators fluidic oscillators per se F15C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/00 Details of, or accessories for, apparatus of groups G01F1/00 - G01F13/00 insofar as such details or appliances are not adapted to particular types of such apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/024 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/125 Filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 11/02 by measuring flow of the material

Abstract

A device for measuring the viscosity of a fluid includes a viscosensitive unit through which the fluid flows under laminar flow conditions, a first turbulent flow flowmeter in series with the viscosensitive unit, and a second turbulent flow flowmeter shunting at least the viscosensitive unit. The flowmeters are adapted to determine the head loss Δp and the flowrate q of the fluid through the viscosensitive unit, the dynamic viscosity μ being given by the equation μ=Δp/kq where k is a constant dependent on the viscosensitive unit. The device is applicable to accurate measurement of fluid volumes.

Claims

1. A device for measuring the viscosity of a fluid wherein said device includes:

a viscosensitive unit through which said fluid flows under laminar flow conditions,

a first turbulent flow flowmeter in series with said viscosensitive unit, and

a second turbulent flow flowmeter shunting at least the viscosensitive unit,

said flowmeters being adapted to determine the head loss Δ

p and the flowrate q of the fluid through the viscosensitive unit, the dynamic viscosity μ

being given by the equation μ

=Δ

p/kq where k is a constant dependent on the viscosensitive unit.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second flowmeter shunts only the viscosensitive unit.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the second flow meter shunts both the viscosensitive unit and the first flowmeter.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein a diaphragm is disposed in series with at least one of the two flowmeters.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein said flowmeters are volume meters associated with a time measurement.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein said volume meters are mechanical meters.

7. A device according to claim 5, wherein said volume meters are static meters.

8. A device according to claim 7, wherein said static meters are ultrasonic meters.

9. A device according to claim 7, wherein said static meters are fluidic oscillators.

10. A viscosensitive unit for a device according to claim 1, wherein said viscosensitive unit has a structure made up of n capillary elements in parallel.