Measurement of gas viscosity using photonic crystal fiber

Abstract

A new measurement technique for gas viscosity coefficient is designed and demonstrated using the technique of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS). Gas flow is driven by a pressure gradient between two gas cells, through a photonic crystal fiber (PCF) surrounded by a furnace for temperature adjustment. PCF with 20-micron diameter affords physical space for gas-light interaction and provides a basis for gas viscosity measurement by determining the time for flow to exit a capillary tube under the influence of a pressure gradient. Infrared radiation from a diode laser is coupled into the fiber to be guided through the gas, and the light attenuation due to absorption from the molecular absorbing species is measured by a photo detector placed at the exit of the fiber. A numerical model from Sharipov and Graur describing local number density distribution in a unsteady state is applied for the determination of gas viscosity, based on the number density of gas measured by the absorption of the laser light, using the Beer-Lambert law. The measurement system is confirmed by measuring the viscosity of CO2 as a reference gas. Show more