This paper reviews our recent work on vibrating sensors for the physical properties of fluids, particularly viscosity and density. Several device designs and the associated properties, specifically with respect to the sensed rheological domain and the onset of non-Newtonian behavior, are discussed.

We provide an overview of recent achievements using quartz tuning forks for sensing liquid viscosity and density. The benefits of using quartz crystal tuning forks (QTFs) over other sensors are discussed on the basis of physical arguments and issues arising in real world applications. The path to highly accurate and robust measurement systems is described and a recently devised system considering these findings is presented. The performance of the system is analyzed for applications such as the mixing ratio measurement of fuels, diesel-soot contamination for engine oil condition monitoring, and particle size characterization in suspensions. It is concluded that using properly designed systems enables a variety of applications in industry and research.