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Definition of Viscosity:
The simplest definition of viscosity is resistance to flow. Sir Isaac Newton (the
guy with the three laws and an apple on the ground) defined it as the resistance
that arises from lack of slipperiness in a fluid. Cold maple syrup is thick and
not slippery, but cold water is thin and slippery.
Words such as thick, slippery, thin and sticky are not distinguishing when we
have to describe dozens of different oils. Instead, we use numbers to compare
different lubricating oils. Consider the experiment shown in the sketch. The
force F that is applied at the edge of the top plate, divided by the area of the
plate A, is defined as Shear Stress. The movement of the fluid between the
plates that results from the application of the force is the Shear Rate. Shear Rate
has to do with the speed with which the layers of fluid between the plates move.
The top layers, the ones closest to the moving plate, move the fastest and the
layer nearest to the stationary plate moves the slowest. Thus, there is a velocity
gradient from fastest to slowest. This gradient is the Shear Rate for that fluid at
a given shear force.
We use these two relationships to describe the resistance to flow:
Two types of viscosity measuring instruments are in common use. They are
described on the next two sections.
Lubricant Film
Summary:
Clearly, viscosity and rheology are very important to the proper operation of
mechanical equipment. An equipment design engineer designing a bearing or
gearbox, or a lubricant dispensing device, needs to understand the implications
of rheology on her design. If she knows the conditions under which the?
Converging wedge? Is operating, the rotating speed, the load, and the
possibility of any intermittent changes in pressure with time, and if she can
predict the range of operating temperatures, she can specify a viscosity and
viscosity index for effective lubrication. Conversely, if she knows the viscosity