The Effect of Surfactant and High Molecular Weight Polymer Addition on Pressure Drop Reduction in Pipe Flow

Abstract

-The main aim of this paper is to present a possibility to enhance the drag reduction effect in straight pipe flow by the simultaneous addition to the transported liquid of a small amount of high molecular weight polymers and surfactants. Qualitative analysis of the polymer-micellar additive influence on the shape and character of flow resistance curves has been performed. Also multicomponent polymer-micellar solution flow resistance curves were compared with appropriate single additive polymer or surfactant solution flow resistance curves. The experimental data shows that, for polymer-micellar solutions, the stable transitional zone between the laminar and the turbulent flow regions is extended toward higher values of the critical Reynolds numbers. Occurrence of the phenomenon can be explained by the flow laminarization caused by polymer-micellar aggregates. Existence of the third extended drag reduction zone in the turbulent range of flow has also been observed for the first time.

Experimental studies on drag reduction by coupled addition of nonionic polymer poly(ethylene oxide) and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethyl ammonium chloride

“…They pointed out that the simultaneous addition of surfactants and polymers into water leads to the intensification of drag reduction effect in the flow, and to obtain the efficient drag reduction in the wider Reynolds number range. And Matras and Kopiczak reported the existence of the third extended zone of drag reduction in the turbulent flow firstly. Hidema studied the influence of mixing solution of PEO and hydroxypropyl cellulose on flow characteristics.…”

“…However, the opposite happens to the addition of cationic surfactant (OTAC) into the anionic polymer (PAM) solution. Matras and Kopiczak performed investigations on the drag reduction effect by the simultaneous addition of CTAB and PEO into water. They pointed out that the simultaneous addition of surfactants and polymers into water leads to the intensification of drag reduction effect in the flow, and to obtain the efficient drag reduction in the wider Reynolds number range.…”

“…As can be seen from the above review, to our best knowledge, the current investigations on the synergistic drag reduction by polymers and surfactants are relatively less. Similarly, the understandings of the drag‐reducing mechanism on the synergistic drag reduction are still not clear although some hypothetical explanations have been proposed in some references . Matras et al pointed out that when the water‐soluble polymer and surfactant with the addition of salt are mixed in water, the specific aggregates may form.…”

“…Thus, the drag reduction occurs and is intensified. On the basis of Matras et al, Matras and Kopiczak presented a detailed explanation on the drag reduction by aggregates when the Reynold number increases. Suksamranchit et al pointed out that the hydrodynamic volume may increase because of the combination of surfactant micelles to polymer macromolecules, which induces more effective drag reduction.…”

Experimental Investigation on Drag Reduction of Mixed Peo and Ctac/Nasal Aqueous Solution in a Rotating Disk Apparatus

“…Therefore, it is very necessary to study the drag-reducing phenomena by additives in rotating machineries at different temperature. Besides, there is not still a definitive explanation on the microscopic drag-reducing mechanism of the mixed solution although some mechanism explanations based on experimental results have been presented in literatures (DaRocha et al, 1999;Matras and Kopiczak, 2016;Matras et al, 2008;Suksamranchit et al, 2006).…”