In 1948 Toms discovered by experiments that the addition of a small amount of
polymer into a
turbulent Newtonian solvent (
parts per million by weight), which
results in a
Non-Newtonian fluid solution, can reduce the skin frictional drag on a stationary
surface by up to 80% . This technology has been successfully
implemented to reduce pumping cost for oil pipelines, to increase the flow rate in
fire fighting equipment and to help irrigation and drainage (Sellin & Ollis, 1980;
Khalil et al., 2002). It also has potential applications in the design of ship and submarine
hulls to achieve an increased speed and reduced energy cost.
See also
*
Drag reducing agent
Drag-reducing agents (DRA), or drag-reducing polymers (DRP's), are additives in pipelines that reduce turbulence in a pipe. Usually used in petroleum pipelines, they increase the pipeline capacity by reducing turbulency and increasing laminar flow ...
*
FENE-P
*
Non-Newtonian fluid
*
Direct numerical simulation
External links
Alyeska Pipe LineEFFECTS OF FRICTION AND POLYMERS ON 2D TURBULENCE
References
Toms, B. 1948 Observation on the flow of linear polymer solutions through
straight tubes at large Reynolds numbers. Proc. Int’l Rheological Congress 2,
135–141
Sellin, R. H. J. & Ollis, M. 1980 Polymer drag reduction in large pipes and
sewers: Results of recent field trials. Journal of Rheology
Khalil, M. F., Kassab, S. Z., Elmiligui, A. A. & Naoum, F. A. 2002
Applications of drag-reducing polymers in sprinkler irrigation systems: Sprinkler
head performance. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Perlekar P, Mitra D, Pandit R. Manifestations of drag reduction by polymer additives in decaying, homogeneous, isotropic turbulence. Physical review letters. 2006
Jin S 2007 Numerical simulations of a dilute polymer solution in isotropic turbulence PhD Thesis Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Liberzon A., Guala M., Lüthi B., Kinzelbach W. and Tsinober A. Dilute polymers in turbulence Physics of Fluids, 17, 031707, 200
link
Liberzon A., Guala M., Kinzelbach W., and Tsinober A. On turbulent kinetic energy production and dissipation in dilute polymer solutions Physics of Fluids 18, 125101, 200
link
Liberzon A., Guala M., Holzner M., Lüthi B., and Kinzelbach W. On turbulent entrainment and dissipation in dilute polymer solutions, Physics of Fluids, 21, 035107, 200
link
Polymers