A Nuclear magnetic Resonance (NMR)-based system for measuring physical properties of a fluid, the system comprising an NMR spectrometer, configured to allow subjection of the fluid to radio frequency (RF) signals within a generated magnetic field, measurement of RF signals remitted by the fluid, and production of an NMR image of the fluid, a conduit, with a at least one segment of non-circular cross-section for accommodation of the flow of the fluid, and a flow-inducing mechanism, configured to allow generation of the flow of the fluid within the conduit, wherein the computer processor is configured to allow analytic processing of data related to the physical properties of the fluid under conditions of laminar and mixed laminar-turbulent flow through the conduit of non-circular cross-section so as to allow measurement of shear stress and shear rate of the fluid.
