Brookfield Engineering Laboratories, Inc.

Other

David A Brookfield

Robert P Bishop

An improved rheometer and rotatable sensing shaft sub-assembly therefor with flexural pivot support at two ends of the shaft, and means for allowing limited axial movement of the shaft while maintaining rigid radial support, with transducer means for extracting and signaling rotational position of the shaft based on shear stress of a fluent material contacting a spindle, cone/plate or other extension of the shaft and/or a related motor-driven member such as a cylinder.

Low friction rheometer

The invention comprises measuring or responsive instruments, including (but not limited to) viscometers, having a music wire ( ) or like high tensile wire support between driving/driven shaft assemblies ( ) and appropriate mounting to eliminate drag, friction, radial misalignment, vibration problems, especially at high rotational speeds, and afford an enhanced accuracy and speed of measurement or other response of the instrument as a whole, including such specific features allowing large angular deflections or small ones (full scale under one degree) and axial and radial rigidity. The instrument can also be used with a plate for cone plate, oscillation and normal force measurements.

Support system with radially rigid wire suspension

Pressurized viscometer (10) with fluid holder (12) rotatable by a motor (M) and gearing (50) to shear a tested fluid F thus imparting torque to a spindle assembly 32 mounted via a flexural mount (rods TR) and having a read-out rod or wire (40) with an adjacent transducer (R, S), the wire passing through an elongated holder shaft (18) within a fixed cylinder that mounts an elongated fluid holder extension (16) via an elongated bearing array (20, 24) on the outer surface thereof.

Pressurized viscometer

A viscometer (10) has a spindle (12) mounted on a rotatable shaft (14) which is, in turn, contained in a tubular rotatable shaft (16) which is within a fixed hollow shaft (18). The latter is suspended from a flange (20) that mates with a flange (22) of an access port (24) of a reactor vessel (RV). There is a base for an external tower (21) that carries a motor (M) and gearing (G) to drive the rotatable shafts (14, 16). A torque interconnection between the rotatable shafts allows angular deflection between them and a transducer (28) picks up such deflection.

Viscometer usable in situ in large reactor vessels

Viscometer with a spindle (4) mounted on a shaft (8) supported via axially spaced, e.g. three inches, bearings (12,14) and driving a transducer rotary member via a stiff rotationally resilient member, the latter providing substantially all the resistive torque to viscous drag imparted to the spindle by an outer driven rotating member (6) when the spindle and rotating member are immersed in a liquid whose viscosity is to be measured, the viscometer being constructed with a handle (38) that encloses motor drive and electronic components of the viscometer, these features, as a whole, providing explosion protection and portability of the viscometer with sensitivity appropriate to portable usage.

Portable viscometer

Rheometric instrument with a motor (24)-driven chamber (12) and concentric spindle (14) removable for fluid changes and reinsertable between the motor drive and a transducer (30) and sense shaft 26) utilizing a flexual mount (36) and jewel--pin mount (26A) to afford repeatably precise radial and axial positioning and, as re-assembled affording a broad range of low torque to high torque response with high sensitivity and reliability and ease of fluid containment for cleaning and handling purposes.

Rheometer System

A viscometer has an element to be immersed in a liquid the viscosity of which is to be monitored. The element is continuously rotated through a resiliently yieldable connection with the stator of a transducer rotated in a constant, selected rate. The rotor of the transducer turns relative to the stator as the connection yields or recovers as determined by the viscosity of the liquid which can vary continuously providing a continuously variable signal by which a digital readout is continuously operated.

Viscometer with a continuously variable electronic readout

A viscometer of the type has a chamber within which there are concentric, open ended cylindrical elements, one within the other. A drive is provided to rotate one of the elements and the inner element, which is free to turn, has one end of a readout rod connected axially thereto. The readout rod extends freely through a tube which seals the rod against the fluid flowing through the chamber and its other end is outside the viscometer with the rotor of a readout device connected thereto. The major percentage of the wanted torsional resistance against the turning of the inner element relative to the other element is provided by a resilient device which also ensures lateral stability for the inner element thus enabling the rod-sealing tube to offer but a minor percentage of such resistance. The readout rod is held by a bearing adjacent its outer end and close to the center of gravity of the rotor.

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Sharon, MA, United States of America

David A Brookfield