Sensors & Electronics
Awards & Recognition
R&D 100 Awards
2001 - MilliWave Viscometer
Developers: Paul Woskov (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Gene Daniels (Savannah River Technology Center), and S.K. Sundaram (PNNL)
The MilliWave Viscometer is a high-temperature viscosity measurement technology for process monitoring of hot molten materials such as in glass manufacture and metals refining. Viscosity is a measure of how well a liquid flows within stationary boundaries such as a pipe or pour spout, in response to a given force. It is a key parameter of molten materials that can indicate the chemistry and quality of a glass or metal product. The MilliWave Viscometer fills a need for a high-temperature on-line viscosity sensor that makes possible real-time process control in the manufacture of glass, metals, and other melter-produced materials.
It is the only viscosity measurement technology that uses millimeter-wave electromagnetic radiation to probe the movement of liquids. The viscometer makes use of a hollow ceramic waveguide that can withstand the hot and chemical environment inside a melter. One end of the waveguide is immersed in the molten material, and the other end is sealed outside the melter with a window. The waveguide guides a coherent millimeter-wave probe signal to the molten fluid and the reflection back to the receiver electronics. It also is pressurized to induce a fluid flow in the waveguide. The motion of the fluid-reflecting surface in the waveguide is determined from the changes in the coherent interference between the probe and reflected signals. The viscosity is determined from the rate of fluid flow in response to a waveguide pressure change.
Excerpted from PNNL R&D 100 webpage.
Selected Links to Related Information:
- Related Examples (Same Project)