THE EFFECT OF DRAG-REDUCING ADDITIVES ON FLUID FLOWS AND THEIR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS PART 1: BASIC ASPECTS

Abstract

This phenomenon, commonly referred to as Polymer Drag Reduction, is familiar to specialised researchers in fluid mechanics but as yet little known to hydraulic engineers. The present review is aimed first of all at introducing the topic to a wider readership of research and design engineers and then goes on to consider possible industrial applications for drag reduction flow systems including details of full-scale field trials whenever available. Part 1 gives a general description of drag reduction by additives as well as a rather rapid survey of the theoretical drag-reduction models that have been proposed during the last fifteen or so years in an attempt to understand the physical mechanism of drag reduction. The closely related topic of the flow of dilute polymer solutions in porous media, although not showing drag reduction, is also covered.