KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KUMASI

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ME 295 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY I

THERMODYNAMICS LAB – TEST FOR VISCOSITY OF OIL

GROUP 4

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SECOND YEAR

LAB TECHNICIAN: DAVID MINGLE

LECTURER: DR. R. OPOKU

DATE: 16TH MARCH, 2022

INTRODUCTION

Viscosity is the resistance offered by a fluid flowing. We use a viscometer to

measure the viscosity of fluids. Number 1 (the smaller viscometer) is used to
determine viscosity of lighter oils like diesel, petrol etc. Number 2 (the larger
viscometer) is used to determine viscosity of thicker oils like Vaseline, grease etc.

The Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) researched and came out that any oil
whose viscosity is -50 and below is light and any oil whose viscosity is 50 and
above is thicker. Example, 5W40 is thicker than 15W40.

OBJECTIVE OF THE EXPERIMENT

To determine the influence of temperature on viscosity of oil.

APPARATUS

 Viscometer
 Ignition burner
 stirrer
 Two glass thermometer
 Flask marked 25ml
 Ball valve
 Stopwatch

METHOD
 Water is poured into the viscometer
 Place one clean glass thermometer into the water bath to help
record the temperature of the water.
 Place another glass thermometer into the oil to record the
temperature of the oil.
 The ball valve is placed into the oil cup to prevent the oil from
pouring on the ground.
 After oil is poured into viscometer, the water is then heated to a
desirable temperature by an ignition burner and recorded by the
thermometer.
 The stirrer is then used to transfer heat to the oil to enable the oil’s
temperature attain the same temperature as the water.
 The flask marked 25ml is place under the viscometer in order to
record the time.
 When the temperature of the oil and water is the same, the ball
valve is released. The oil then flows into the tube.
 The time is taken with a stopwatch when the oil reaches the 25ml
mark in the flask.
 The same method is repeated at different temperatures.
TABLE OF VALUES

Temperature/ degree Celsius Time taken/ seconds

29 23.37
39 22.57
49 20.27
59 18.33
69 15.76
79 13.26

INFERENCE

The time taken for the oil to drop to the 25ml mark in the flask is viscosity.

OBSERVATION

We observed that the oil drops at fast rate once the temperature increases. It
took the oil less time to fill the flask marked 25ml at the highest temperature.
CONCLUSION

From our observation, we concluded that since viscosity is the time taken for the
oil to drop to 25ml in the flask, then viscosity decreases with increase in
temperature.

PRECAUTIONS TAKEN DURING EXPERIMENT

 We did not overheat the water because it is difficult to lower the

temperature to a desirable temperature.
 We ensured that the temperature of the oil and water was the same before
releasing the ball valve.
 We avoided parallax error when taking measurements from the
thermometer.
 We properly drain the flask after every temperature recording is taken to
minimize errors.
 We cleaned the oil cup with a muslin cloth to remove solid particles.

NAMES INDEX NUMBER

BELLO RAPHAEL AMETEFE KOMLA 3141420
ASORDUAG MISHAEL DELWINI 3139620
ASIRIFI REBECCA YIRENKYI 3139520
BOAKYE-TURKSON KWAME 3141920
QUAICOE EMMANUEL 3153520
BOAKYE ELIJAH AKOMEA 3141820
AZUMA JUBILANT SELORM 3140720
AWORTWE ISHAMAEL 3140320
KOTEY SAMUEL NEEQUAYE 3146520
AVULETEY WISDOM KOFI 3140220
BOAKYE EDMUND 3141720
ASIEDU ULYSSES NANA OWUSU NSIAH 3139420
DANIEL ALBERT BOYE 3142220
AWUDU PRINE KHALID 3140420
BAIDOO CHARLES 3141020
BAIDOO PHILOMENA 3141120
BOAHENE ABENA ABRAFI 3141620
BONAH ALFRED 3142120
KORLEY IGNACIOUS NII MARTEY 3146420
KWETEY ALFRED SELASI YAW 8329819
ANOBAH EDWIN KWABENA 3137420
WOODE EMMANUEL 8335119
ATTIPOE MARCEL SELORM 3139820
MARTEY ARNOLD 3140520
ASIEDU GOTTFRIED GYEBI 3139320
ANANG AMANDO 3136520
AYEDZI PRINCE 3140520
BENJAMIN ARTHUR 8323619
ATOBRAH EDWIN 3139720