Handheld Viscosity Measurement With Motor-Driven Spindle
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rheometers are bulky and not easily transportable, making it difficult to measure viscosity of fluids at remote locations, and materials can evolve due to thixotropy, chemical reactions, or bioactivity, necessitating immediate on-site measurement.
Innovation Solution
A portable, handheld viscosity measurement device with a spindle, motor, display, and rechargeable battery, allowing for easy transport and real-time viscosity measurement by detecting motor current and displaying resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a rheometer is used to measure fluid viscosity, then accurate viscosity measurement is achieved, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to transport to remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into separate functional modules: a handheld spindle assembly with motor and sensor, and a separate rheometer body. The spindle can be removed and inserted into different rheometer bodies, allowing the measurement function to be segmented and deployed at remote locations without requiring the entire bulky rheometer system to be transported.
Solution Approach 2:
The motor, drive shaft, and sensor assembly are extracted from the traditional fixed rheometer structure and integrated into a portable handheld spindle. This extraction allows the measurement capability to be decoupled from the bulky rheometer body and transported independently to remote measurement locations.
2Measurement precision
If materials are transported to laboratory for viscosity testing, then accurate measurement is obtained, but the material may evolve due to thixotropy, chemical reactions, or bioactivity during transport and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables preliminary viscosity measurement at the point of use before the material can undergo significant evolution. By measuring viscosity immediately after mixing or during application, the measurement is performed while the material is still in its initial state, preventing changes due to thixotropy, chemical reactions, or bioactivity that would occur during transport to and storage in a laboratory.
3Ease of operation
If a portable device is designed to be easily transported, then device portability is improved, but the device complexity and electronic sensitivity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motor, drive shaft, and sensor assembly are extracted from the traditional fixed rheometer structure and integrated into a portable handheld spindle. This extraction allows the measurement capability to be decoupled from the bulky rheometer body and transported independently to remote measurement locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The handheld spindle is designed to be self-contained with all necessary components (motor, drive shaft, sensor) integrated into a single portable unit that can operate independently. The spindle serves itself by incorporating all functional elements needed for measurement, eliminating the need for complex external electronic systems and bulky laboratory equipment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate, real-time viscosity measurement at remote locations, overcoming the limitations of bulky rheometers and addressing material evolution issues.
Implementation Method 1
viscosity describes the internal friction of a moving fluid
Implementation Method 2
The resistance of the fluid on the rotation of the spindle is measured by the rheometer
Data Source
AI summary
A handheld viscosity measurement device is provided and includes a housing including a drive shaft coupled to a motor, and a handle, a spindle attached to the drive shaft, a display device attached to the housing and a battery attached to the housing. In operation, the spindle is inserted in a material while the motor rotates the drive shaft and the spindle, the display device displays a measurement based on the resistance of the material on the spindle.