Laser anemometer measurements of Reynolds stress in a turbulent channel flow with drag reducing polymer additives

Abstract

Turbulence measurements with a high resolution laser Doppler anemometer in a channel flow with injection of a concentrated polyethylene oxide solution are reported. With polymer injection sufficient to yield a well mixed concentration of 10 ppm the total drag is reduced by 38%, but the sum of the Reynolds stress and the conventional molecular shear stress is only (2)/(3) of the force produced by the streamwise pressure gradient. Thus, the injected polymer solution has a significant effect on the turbulence and causes an additional retarding force equal to approximately (1)/(3) of the total drag.