Mysterious Viscometer

Hi hazman,

That Viscometer has some remarkable breeding. Its inventor was GA Michell, the same person who invented the Michell thrust bearing around 1905 and used on most ship drive shafts. He was an Australian, born 1870 and The Institution of Engineers, Australia has an annual award of his name for outstanding engineering achievements.

There is a little more, and longer story of info below which may be useful in keeping close to your device for future generation's knowledge. Also, have a look at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100480b.htm

George Anthony Michell was born in 1870 when his parents were visiting England. The family returned to Australia and Anthony Michell enrolled at the University of Melbourne, graduating with a BSc in 1887, gaining first place in civil engineering and second place in mining engineering. He obtained his Master of Civil Engineering degree from Melbourne University later. Michell had emerged from his educational environment as a man with excellent mathematical ability and a bias towards using this ability in the solution of engineering problems. Professor Osborne Reynolds of Manchester University, whose work forms the basis of much of our knowledge of fluids in engineering, had written, in 1886, a paper describing the twodimensional behaviour of a film of lubricant. He drew attention to the need for the thickness of the film to decrease in the direction of the motion of the surface if there were to be a build-up of pressure within the film. Michell had worked with pumps and turbines, had encountered the necessity to accommodate thrust in the axial direction and recognising the value of Reynolds' findings, he undertook fundamental research in 1902-1904 to generalise that work for application in engineering. Michell displayed versatility in his contributions to engineering knowledge. He published some early work on frame-structures, moved into hydraulics, then into fluid mechanics and lubrication. His thrust bearing received international recognition and adoption. This was his most successful achievement and by 1915 these bearings were being installed on almost every ship. His journal bearing using the same principle was an engineering success but, since there were in existence good alternative bearings, there was no demand for it. The crankless engine followed. In this design a collar was set obliquely to the shaft, which upon rotation imparted reciprocating motion, parallel to the shaft, on a number of pistons arranged in a circular array. when the shaft was driven, this mechanism provided a pumping action; the swashplate pump, using this principle, has found many useful applications. Alternatively, the mechanism could be operated as an engine, by using the pistons as the source of power. A wide range of internal combustion engines and compressors were built to his design. It is regrettable that Michell's renowned engineering ability was not matched by business acumen, which could have resulted in much greater financial rewards for his outstanding work. Michell's versatility is evident in the 48 patents bearing his name. His approach to problem solving was well described by Professor A. Robertson who, in comnenting on a viscometer produced by Michell said '... a typical Michell invention: a mathematical analysis and then a clever device to effect the desired end. Hope this may be helpful and interesting AussieBob