Portable Kinematic Viscometers
The SpectroVisc Q3000 series viscometers are the first truly portable, solvent-free, temperature-controlled 40C kinematic viscometers, providing high-accuracy measurements for easy detection of viscosity variations caused by contamination, mix-up and oil degradation. The devices were designed to determine kinematic viscosity in the field for applications where immediate results are essential for determining the health of critical equipment.
The SpectroVisc Q3000 family includes two models:
SpectroVisc Q3000 viscometers use a patented split cell design that enables measurement of kinematic viscosity using only a few drops (60µL) of oil. Operation of the device is simple; after loading ~60µl oil into the upper well of the chip, gravitational force causes the fluid sample to flow down the microchannel. A proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is used with a heating element to effectively maintain the test cell temperature at 40°C to provide a true 40C kinematic viscosity measurement. After measurement, the test cell is simply wiped clean with a non-abrasive pad.
This viscometer operates as a Hele-Shaw cell, where Stokes flow is present between two parallel plates. The fluid passing between an LED and a photodiode causes a drop in the photodiode voltage. The average velocity of the fluid is calculated from the elapsed time between photodiodes and is then used to generate a kinematic viscosity for the measured sample.
Analytical Test
The SpectroVisc units can be ordered as a combination kit with the FluidScan® Q1000 or Q1100 portable infrared fluid condition monitors.