[CCoE Notice] Thesis Announcement: Lalitha Paturi, "Measurement and Analysis of the Viscosity of High-Stability Oils and Lubricants for a Wide Spectrum of Temperatures"

[Greenwell, Stephen J]

[Thesis Defense Announcement at the Cullen College of Engineering]
Measurement and Analysis of the Viscosity of High-Stability Oils and Lubricants for a Wide Spectrum of Temperatures
Lalitha Paturi

April 28, 2025, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (CST)
Location: Petroleum Eng. Bldg. (ERP 9) Room 104
Virtual Link: Lalitha Paturi Thesis Defense(TEAMS)<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19*3ameeting_ODIzYjNjMGQtNGQzNS00NDA4LTk1YWMtMDFjMzQwMGE1Yjlm*40thread.v2/0?context=*7b*22Tid*22*3a*22170bbabd-a2f0-4c90-ad4b-0e8f0f0c4259*22*2c*22Oid*22*3a*22fbdabfc6-5163-4686-87ab-cd7c27d488c3*22*7d__;JSUlJSUlJSUlJSUlJSUl!!LkSTlj0I!DrdcfK0KI1Hm0_K1OG1r-fhklZpMZR4kYgksbTk6IAe_5yzieGvR9D8IsMdvxZsL3CXzQ-4W2kS6M0GsraLUOjJX3C4$ >

Committee Chair:
Dr. Birol Dindoruk, Ph.D.
Committee Members:
Dr. S.M. Farouq Ali, Ph.D. | Dr. Yingcai Zheng, Ph.D. | Dr. Guan Qin, Ph.D.
Abstract
Understanding and predicting the viscosity behavior of lubricants used in mobility applications is essential to ensuring performance, durability, and safety in automotive, aerospace, marine, and industrial systems. Lubricants experience wide-ranging thermal and mechanical stresses, and their effectiveness is governed by the stability of their viscosity. However, conventional models often rely on reference viscosities at fixed temperatures (e.g., 40°C and 100°C) or empirical curve fits, which limit their applicability to chemically diverse or unknown oils without compositional data or benchmark values.
This thesis presents an experimental modeling framework that addresses these limitations by integrating viscosity temperature profiling with molecular weight estimation via freezing point depression (FPD). Nineteen lubricants including monograde, multigrade, transmission, aviation, synthetic, and marine oils were evaluated using three instruments: the Viscosity 700 portable viscometer for ambient conditions, the CV100 capillary viscometer, and the Anton Paar MCR rheometer with a high-pressure titanium cell with Julabo CP-200F bath for high-resolution measurements across −20°C to 180°C.
Molecular weights were experimentally determined using benzene as a cryoscopic solvent and validated against established correlations, including (Cragoe, 1929), Modified Cragoes, ASTM D2502 , (Drews, 1998a), (Sim & Daubert, 1980), (Da Silva, 1992), (Zanker, 1973), (Riazi & Daubert, 1986), (Standing, 1951). These molecular weight values were then embedded into a reformulated Walther-based viscosity prediction model, eliminating the need for fixed reference viscosities.
Model accuracy was benchmarked against industry-standard and physics-based models including ASTM D341, (Andrade, E.N. 1930), (Vogel, 1921)  and the physics-augmented formulation by (Sinha et al, 2022). The proposed model demonstrated strong agreement with experimental data across known and unknown lubricants.
By linking molecular weight and viscosity through experimentally accessible and cost-effective techniques, this study offers a novel, generalized pathway for predictive analysis of lubricant behavior. The findings have broad applications in real-time monitoring, sensor-based viscosity estimation, advanced lubricant formulation, and modeling of flow behavior under extreme operating conditions.
[Engineered For What's Next]



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