Tuning Fork

The TFS process makes use of the tuning fork principle which states that the natural frequency of a tuning fork is dependent on the density of the medium surrounding it. The time in which the natural oscillation decays (damping) is a measure of the medium’s viscosity. During the TFS process, the tuning fork is magnetically excited. This means that the tuning fork is first excited to a forced oscillation and then oscillates at its natural frequency. In this phase, microcontroller-based electronics determine both the natural frequency and the damping factor of the decaying oscillation. These two values can then be used to directly infer the density and viscosity of the medium.