Liquid viscosity measurement based on disk-shaped electromechanical resonator

Abstract

Purpose The effect of viscosity on the performance of disk-shaped electromechanical resonators has been studied and investigated in the past. The vibration frequency of a disk-shaped resonator changes according to the viscosity of the liquid which the resonator is in contact with. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is based on design a sensor for measuring the viscosity of liquids using a disk-shaped electromechanical resonator. The viscosity of liquids is of interest to researchers in industry and medicine. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a viscosity sensor for liquids is proposed, which is designed based on a disk-shaped electromechanical resonator. In this proposed sensor, two comb drives are used as electrostatic actuators to stimulate the resonator. Also, two other comb drives are used as electrostatic sensors to monitor the frequency changes of the proposed resonator. The resonance frequency of the resonator in response to different fluids under test varies according to their viscosity. Findings After calibration of the proposed sensor by nonlinear weights, the viscosity of some liquids are calculated using this sensor and results confirm its accuracy according to the liquids real viscosity. Originality/value The design of the proposed sensor and its simulated performance are reported. Also, the viscosity of several different liquids are evaluated with simulations of the proposed sensor and presented.