Polymer induced turbulent drag reduction using pressure and gravity-driven methods

摘要

Drag reduction using polymer additives has been industrially important for enhancing the flow rates and hence the power consumption. In this study, various polymers like PEG, PAM, HPMC were employed with solvents like water and lubricating oil for drag reduction using gravity and pressure driven methods. The optimum set of parameters for maximum drag reduction-polymer concentration, nature of polymer, polymer combinations, exit pipe diameter, solvent-polymer combinations, experimental methodology-were obtained and then the results validated with well known concepts like the Toms effect and Virk's maximum drag reduction asymptote.