Viscosity vs Flow Rate Calculator

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Viscosity vs. Flow Rate Calculator

Calculate Volumetric Flow Rate using Poiseuille's Law

The driving force pushing the fluid (Input 100000 for 1 Bar).
The internal width of the pipe or tube.
Water ≈ 1 cP, Olive Oil ≈ 80 cP, Honey ≈ 10000 cP.
Total length of the pipe segment.
Volumetric Flow Rate
0 m³/hour
0 Liters/second

Understanding the Relationship: Viscosity vs. Flow Rate

In fluid dynamics, the relationship between viscosity and flow rate is primarily governed by Poiseuille's Law (for laminar flow). This calculator helps engineers, students, and technicians determine how fast a fluid will flow through a pipe given specific conditions.

The Formula

The calculator uses the standard Hagen-Poiseuille equation to determine volumetric flow rate ($Q$):

Q = (π · ΔP · r⁴) / (8 · μ · L)

  • Q: Volumetric flow rate ($m^3/s$)
  • ΔP: Pressure difference between two ends of the pipe ($Pa$)
  • r: Internal radius of the pipe ($m$)
  • μ (mu): Dynamic viscosity of the fluid ($Pa\cdot s$)
  • L: Length of the pipe ($m$)

Key Insights

1. Viscosity is Resistance: Viscosity acts as internal friction. The higher the viscosity (e.g., honey vs. water), the slower the flow rate, assuming pressure remains constant. It is inversely proportional to flow.

2. The Power of Diameter: The radius of the pipe is raised to the fourth power ($r^4$). This means a small increase in pipe diameter results in a massive increase in flow rate. Doubling the pipe width increases the flow rate by 16 times!

Example Calculation

Let's say you are pumping an oil with a viscosity of 100 cP through a pipe with an internal diameter of 50 mm and a length of 20 meters. The pump generates a pressure difference of 50,000 Pa (0.5 Bar).

  • Radius ($r$): 0.025 meters
  • Viscosity ($\mu$): 0.1 $Pa\cdot s$
  • Result ($Q$): The flow rate would be approximately 0.0038 m³/s or roughly 230 Liters/minute.
function calculateFlowRate() { // Get input elements var pressureInput = document.getElementById('pressureDrop'); var diameterInput = document.getElementById('pipeDiameter'); var viscosityInput = document.getElementById('dynamicViscosity'); var lengthInput = document.getElementById('pipeLength'); // Get values var pressurePa = parseFloat(pressureInput.value); var diameterMm = parseFloat(diameterInput.value); var viscosityCp = parseFloat(viscosityInput.value); var lengthM = parseFloat(lengthInput.value); var errorBox = document.getElementById('errorBox'); var resultsArea = document.getElementById('resultsArea'); // Reset UI errorBox.style.display = 'none'; resultsArea.style.display = 'none'; // Validation if (isNaN(pressurePa) || isNaN(diameterMm) || isNaN(viscosityCp) || isNaN(lengthM)) { errorBox.innerText = "Please fill in all fields with valid numbers."; errorBox.style.display = 'block'; return; } if (diameterMm <= 0 || viscosityCp <= 0 || lengthM <= 0) { errorBox.innerText = "Diameter, Viscosity, and Length must be greater than zero."; errorBox.style.display = 'block'; return; } // Unit Conversions for Formula (SI Units) // Viscosity: cP to Pa.s (1 cP = 0.001 Pa.s) var viscosityPaS = viscosityCp / 1000; // Diameter: mm to radius in meters // Radius = (Diameter / 2) / 1000 var radiusM = (diameterMm / 2) / 1000; // Poiseuille's Law Calculation: Q = (PI * dP * r^4) / (8 * mu * L) var numerator = Math.PI * pressurePa * Math.pow(radiusM, 4); var denominator = 8 * viscosityPaS * lengthM; var flowRateCubicMetersPerSecond = numerator / denominator; // Result Conversions var litersPerMinute = flowRateCubicMetersPerSecond * 60000; // m3/s to L/min var litersPerSecond = flowRateCubicMetersPerSecond * 1000; // m3/s to L/s var cubicMetersPerHour = flowRateCubicMetersPerSecond * 3600; // m3/s to m3/h // Display Results document.getElementById('mainResult').innerText = litersPerMinute.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2}) + " L/min"; document.getElementById('resM3').innerText = cubicMetersPerHour.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 3, maximumFractionDigits: 3}); document.getElementById('resLPS').innerText = litersPerSecond.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 3, maximumFractionDigits: 3}); resultsArea.style.display = 'block'; }

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