Fluid viscosity measurement using forward light scattering

A fluid viscosity measuring device using forward light scattering is presented. The sensing principle makes use of the damping characteristic of a vibrating taut optical fibre probe that is sensitive to the viscosity of an immersed fluid. Measurements of the resonant frequency and the amplitude are used to determine the viscosity of the liquid. Experimental results are presented for sucrose solutions of varying concentrations with a viscosity varying from 1 to 6 cP. Keywords: fluid viscosity, mass density, light scattering, interference, in-line process monitoring