Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T20:43:05.998Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A direct comparison of turbulence in drag-reduced flows of polymers and surfactants

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2021

Lucas Warwaruk  and
Sina Ghaemi Open the ORCID record for Sina Ghaemi [Opens in a new window]
Lucas Warwaruk
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G8, Canada
Sina Ghaemi*
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2G8, Canada
*
†Email address for correspondence: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We experimentally compared the drag-reduced turbulent channel flow of three different additives: a flexible polymer, a rigid polymer and a surfactant. A high drag reduction (HDR) of approximately 58 % was achieved using the flexible polymer, the rigid polymer and the surfactant. A maximum drag reduction (MDR) of approximately 70 % was also achieved using the flexible polymer and the surfactant. Solutions of flexible polymer and surfactant had a small shear viscosity, while the rigid polymer solution had a large shear viscosity with a considerable shear-thinning behaviour. The flexible polymer solution was the only fluid to exhibit a large extensional relaxation time. At HDR, the wall-normal distribution of mean velocity and the turbulent statistics of the drag-reduced flows were a function of the additive type and Reynolds number, Re. At MDR, the wall-normal distribution of mean velocity and turbulent statistics of the drag-reduced flows were similar, and not contingent on the additive type or Re. Due to its larger shear viscosity, the rigid polymer solution did not reach the MDR state in terms of drag reduction and mean velocity profile. However, the Reynolds stress profiles and turbulent length scale of the rigid polymer solution at HDR were similar to those of the flexible polymer and surfactant solutions at MDR. Our investigation demonstrated that different additives generate drag-reduced flows with similar turbulent statistics; however, no common rheological feature has been identified as of yet.

JFM classification

Flow Control: Drag reduction Turbulent Flows: Turbulent boundary layers
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 917 , 25 June 2021 , A7
Check for updates
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu Rowin, W., Sanders, S.R. & Ghaemi, S. 2018 A recipe for optimum mixing of polymer drag reducers. J. Fluids Engng 140, 1–10.Google Scholar
Abu Rowin, W.A., & Ghaemi, S., 2019 Streamwise and spanwise slip over a superhydrophobic surface. J. Fluid Mech. 870, 1127–1157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anna, S.L. & Mckinley, G.H. 2001 Elasto-capillary thinning and breakup of model elastic liquids. J. Rheol. 45, 115–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barnes, H.A., Hutton, J.F. & Walters, K. 1989 An Introduction to Rheology. Elsevier Science B.W.Google Scholar
Bewley, G.P., Sreenivasan, K.R. & Lathrop, D.P. 2008 Particles for tracing turbulent liquid helium. Exp. Fluids 44 (6), 887–896.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bewersdorff, H.W. & Ohlendorf, D. 1988 The behaviour of drag-reducing cationic surfactant solutions. Colloid Polym. Sci. 266 (10), 941–953.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burger, E.D., Munk, W.R. & Wahl, H.A. 1982 Flow increase in the trans Alaska pipeline through use of a polymeric drag-reducing additive. J. Petrol. Tech. 34, 377–386.Google Scholar
Carreau, P.J. 1972 Rheological equations from molecular network theories. Trans. Soc. Rheol. 16 (1), 99–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chara, Z., Zakin, J.L., Severa, M. & Myska, J. 1993 Turbulence measurements of drag reducing surfactant systems. Exp. Fluids 16 (1), 36–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collings, A.F. & Bajenov, N. 1983 A high precision capillary viscometer and further results for the viscosity of water. Metrologia 19 (2), 61–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dean, R.B. 1978 Reynolds number dependence of skin friction and other bulk flow variables in two-dimensional rectangular duct flow. J. Fluids Engng 100 (1), 215–223.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dinic, J., Jimenez, L.N. & Sharma, V. 2017 Pinch-off dynamics and dripping-onto-substrate (DoS) rheometry of complex fluids. Lab on a Chip 17 (3), 460–473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dontula, P., Pasquali, M., Scriven, E. & Macosko, C.W. 1997 Can extensional viscosity be measured with opposed-nozzle devices? Rheol. Acta 36, 429–448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dubief, Y., Terrapon, V.E. & Soria, J. 2013 On the mechanism of elasto-inertial turbulence. Phys. Fluids 25 (11), 1–16.Google ScholarPubMed
Ebrahimian, M., Sanders, R.S. & Ghaemi, S. 2019 Dynamics and wall collision of inertial particles in a solid-liquid turbulent channel flow. J. Fluid Mech. 881, 872–905.Google Scholar
Elbing, B.R., Perlin, M., Dowling, D.R. & Ceccio, S.L. 2013 Modification of the mean near-wall velocity profile of a high-Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer with the injection of drag-reducing polymer solutions. Phys. Fluids 25, 085103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Escudier, M.P., Nickson, A.K. & Poole, R.J. 2009 Turbulent flow of viscoelastic shear-thinning liquids through a rectangular duct: quantification of turbulence anisotropy. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 160 (1), 2–10.Google Scholar
Escudier, M.P., Presti, F. & Smith, S. 1999 Drag reduction in the turbulent pipe flow of polymers. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 81 (3), 197–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ghaemi, S. & Scarano, F. 2010 Multi-pass light amplification for tomographic particle image velocimetry applications. Meas. Sci. Technol. 21, 1–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, M.D. 2014 Drag reduction and the dynamics of turbulence in simple and complex fluids. Phys. Fluids 26, 101301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gubian, P.-A., Stoker, J., Medvescek, J., Mydlarski, L. & Baliga, B.R. 2019 Evolution of wall shear stress with Reynolds number in fully developed turbulent channel flow experiments. Phys. Rev. Fluids 4, 074606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hofmann, S., Rauscher, A. & Hoffmann, H. 1991 Shear induced micellar structures. Ber. Bunsenges. Phys. Chem. 95 (2), 153–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutchins, N. & Marusic, I. 2007 Evidence of very long meandering features in the logarithmic region of turbulent boundary layers. J. Fluid Mech. 579, 1–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iwamoto, K., Suzuki, Y. & Kasagi, N. 2002 Reynolds number effect on wall turbulence: toward effective feedback control. Intl J. Heat Fluid Flow 23 (5), 678–689.Google Scholar
Kim, K., Islam, M.T., Shen, X., Siriviente, A.I. & Solomon, M.J. 2004 Effect of macromolecular polymer structures on drag reduction in a turbulent channel flow. Phys. Fluids 16 (11), 4150–4162.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krope, A. & Lipus, L.C. 2009 Drag reducing surfactants for district heating. Appl. Therm. Engng 30, 833–838.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, M. & Moser, R.D. 2015 Direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow up to Reτ ≈ 5200. J. Fluid Mech. 774, 395–415.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C.F., Kawaguchi, Y., Segawa, T. & Hishida, K. 2005 Reynolds-number dependence of turbulence structures in drag-reducing surfactant solution channel flow investigated by particle image velocimetry. Physics of Fluids 17 (7), 1–13.Google Scholar
Li, C.F., Sureshkumar, R. & Khomami, B. 2006 Influence of rheological parameters on polymer induced turbulent drag reduction. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 140, 23–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lin, Z. 2000 The effect of chemical structures of cationic surfactant or counterions on solution drag reduction effectiveness, rheology and micellar microstructure. PhD thesis, The Ohio State University.Google Scholar
Lu, B., Li, X., Scriven, L.E., Davis, H.T., Talmon, Y. & Zakin, J.L. 1998 Effect of chemical structure on viscoelasticity and extensional viscosity of drag-reducing cationic surfactant solutions. Langmuir 14 (1), 8–16.Google Scholar
Lumley, J.L. 1969 Drag reduction by additives. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 1 (1), 367–384.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, E., Clasen, C. & Rothstein, J.P. 2009 The effect of step-stretch parameters on capillary breakup extensional rheology (CaBER) measurements. Rheol. Acta 48, 625–639.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Min, T., Choi, H. & Yoo, J.Y. 2003 Maximum drag reduction in a turbulent channel flow by polymer additives. J. Fluid Mech. 486 (492), 91–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohammadtabar, M., Sanders, R.S. & Ghaemi, S. 2017 Turbulent structures of non-Newtonian solutions containing rigid polymers. Phys. Fluids 29, 103101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mohammadtabar, M., Sanders, R.S. & Ghaemi, S. 2020 Viscoelastic properties of flexible and rigid polymers for turbulent drag reduction. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 283, 104347.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moser, R.D., Kim, J. & Mansour, N.N. 1999 Direct numerical simulation of turbulent channel flow up to Reτ = 590. Phys. Fluids 11, 943–945.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mysels, K.J. 1949 Patent No. 2, 492, 173. United States Patent Office.Google Scholar
Nagashima, A. 1977 Viscosity of water substance-new international formulation and its background. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 6 (4), 1133–1166.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ohlendorf, D., Interthal, W. & Hoffman, H. 1986 Surfactant system for drag reduction: physico-chemical properties and rheological behaviour. Rheol. Acta 25, 468–486.Google Scholar
Owolabi, B.E., Dennis, D.J.C. & Poole, R.J. 2017 Turbulent drag reduction by polymer additives in parallel-shear flows. J. Fluid Mech. 827, R4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pereira, A.S., Andrade, R.M. & Soares, E.J. 2013 Drag reduction induced by flexible and rigid molecules in a turbulent flow into a rotating cylindrical double gap device: comparison between Poly (ethylene oxide), Polyacrylamide, and Xanthan Gum. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 202, 72–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Procaccia, I., L'vov, V.S. & Benzi, R. 2008 Colloquium: theory of drag reduction by polymers in wall-bounded turbulence. Rev. Mod. Phys. 80 (1), 225–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ptasinski, P.K., Boersma, B.J., Nieuwstadt, T.M., Hulsen, M.A., van den Brule, H.A.A. & Hunt, J.C.R. 2003 Turbulent channel flow near maximum drag reduction: simulations, experiments and mechanisms. J. Fluid Mech. 490, 251–291.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ptasinski, P.K., Nieuwstadt, T.M. & Hulsen, M.A. 2001 Experiments in turbulent pipe flow with polymer additives at maximum drag reduction. Flow Turbul. Combust. 66 (2), 159–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Qi, Y. & Zakin, J.L. 2002 Chemical and rheological characterization of drag-reducing cationic surfactant systems. Ind. Engng Chem. Res. 41 (25), 6326–6336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodd, L.E., Scott, T.P., Cooper-White, J.J. & Mckinley, G.H. 2005 Capillary break-up rheometry of low-viscosity elastic fluids. Appl. Rheol. 15 (1), 12–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schanz, D., Gesemann, S. & Schröder, A. 2016 Shake-The-Box: Lagrangian particle tracking at high particle image densities. Exp. Fluids 57, 1–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schanz, D., Gesemann, S., Schröder, A., Wieneke, B. & Novara, M. 2013 Non-uniform optical transfer functions in particle imaging: calibration and application to tomographic reconstruction. Meas. Sci. Technol. 24 (2), 1–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schröder, A., Schanz, D., Geisler, R., Gesemann, S. & Willert, C. 2015 Near-wall turbulence characterization using 4D-PTV Shake-The-Box. In 11th International Symposium on Particle Image Velocimetry – PIV15.Google Scholar
Singh, J., Rudman, M., Blackburn, H.M., Chryss, A., Pullum, L. & Graham, L.J. 2016 The importance of rheology characterization in predicting turbulent pipe flow of generalized Newtonian fluids. J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 232, 11–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sisko, A.W. 1958 The flow of lubricating greases. Ind. Engng Chem. 50 (12), 1789–1792.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tabor, M. & de Gennes, P.G. 1986 A cascade theory of drag reduction. Europhys. Lett. 2 (7), 519–522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tamano, S., Itoh, M., Inoue, T., Kato, K. & Yokota, K. 2009 Turbulence statistics and structures of drag-reducing turbulent boundary layer in homogeneous aqueous surfactant solutions. Phys. Fluids 21, 045101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tamano, S., Uchikawa, H., Ito, J. & Morinishi, Y. 2018 Streamwise variations of turbulence statistics up to maximum drag reduction state in turbulent boundary layer flow due to surfactant injection. Phys. Fluids 30, 075103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thais, L., Gatski, T.B. & Mompean, G. 2012 Some dynamical features of the turbulent flow of a viscoelastic fluid for reduced drag. J. Turbul. 13, 1–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
den Toonder, J.M.J., Draad, A.A., Kuiken, G.D.C. & Nieuwstadt, F.T.M. 1995 Degradation effects of dilute polymer solutions on turbulent drag reduction in pipe flows. Appl. Sci. Res. 55 (1), 63–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toms, B.A., 1948 Some observations on the flow of linear polymer solutions through straight tubes at large Reynolds numbers. In Proceedings of the 1st International Congress on Rheology, vol. 2, pp. 135–141.Google Scholar
Virk, P.S. 1971 An elastic sublayer model for drag reduction by dilute solutions of linear macromolecules. J. Fluid Mech. 45 (3), 417–440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Virk, P.S., Mickley, H.S. & Smith, K.A. 1970 The ultimate asymptotes and mean flow structure in Toms’ phenomenon. Journal of Applied Mechanics. Trans. ASME 37 (2), 488–493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Virk, P.S. & Wagger, D.L. 1990 Aspects of mechanisms in type B drag reduction. In Structure of Turbulence and Drag Reduction (ed. A., Gyr), International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. pp. 201–213. Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warholic, M.D., Massah, H. & Hanratty, T.J. 1999 a Influence of drag-reducing polymers on turbulence: effects of Reynolds number, concentration and mixing. Exp. Fluids 27 (5), 461–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warholic, M.D., Schmidt, G.M. & Hanratty, T.J. 1999 b Influence of drag-reducing surfactant on a turbulent velocity field. J. Fluid. Mech. 388, 1–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, A.J. & Ganji, R.J. 2010 Introduction to Engineering Experimentation, 3rd edn. Pearson Higher Education.Google Scholar
White, C.M., Dubief, Y. & Klewicki, J. 2012 Re-examining the logarithmic dependence of the mean velocity distribution in polymer drag-reduced wall-bounded flow. Phys. Fluids 24, 021701.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, C.M., Dubief, Y. & Klewicki, J. 2018 Properties of the mean momentum balance in polymer drag-reduced channel flow. J. Fluid. Mech. 834, 409–433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, C.M., Somandepalli, S.R. & Mungal, M.G. 2004 The turbulence structure of drag-reduced boundary layer flow. Exp. Fluids 36 (1), 62–69.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
White, C.M. & Mungal, M.G. 2008 Mechanics and prediction of turbulent drag reduction with polymer additives. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 40 (1), 235–256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wieneke, B. 2008 Volume self-calibration for 3D particle image velocimetry. Exp Fluids 45 (4), 549–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wieneke, B. 2013 Iterative reconstruction of volumetric particle distribution. Meas. Sci.Technol. 24, 024008.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yasuda, K., Armstrong, R.C. & Cohen, R.E. 1981 Shear flow properties of concentrated solutions of linear and star branched polystyrenes. Rheol. Acta 20 (2), 163–178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zakin, J.L., Myska, J. & Chara, Z. 1996 New limiting drag reduction and velocity profile asymptotes for nonpolymeric additive systems. AIChE J. 42 (12), 3544–3546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zhang, Y., Schmidt, J., Talmon, Y. & Zakin, J.L. 2005 Co-solvent effects on drag-reduction, rheological properties and micelle microstructure of cationic surfactants. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 286 (2), 696–709.CrossRefGoogle Scholar