Improvement of Michell Workshop Viscometer

Abstract

The Michell viscometer is mainly composed of a cup and a ball. The viscosity is indicated by the time, during which the ball adheres to the cup against the gravity, after the space between them has been filled with oil sample and the ball has been pressed against the cup firmly. Although the mechanism of this viscometer is very simple and the viscosity can be measured using only several drops of the sample, it has not been used widely. The authors have improved this viscometer in several points and developed a constant temperature box for it. As a result, the reliability of the measurement has become higher and the operation of the viscometer easier. For example, we can know numerically the relation between the distance covered and the kinematic viscosity of automotive engine oil without any difficulties.