Turbulent flow of pseudoplastic polymer solutions in straight cylindrical tubes

Abstract

Abstract Experimental studies are described concerning the fluid dynamics, particularly in the turbulent region, of dilute solutions of free‐draining, nonassociating, linear polymers; sodium carboxymethylcellulose, ammonium alginate, polyisobutylene, and carboxypolymethylene, all of which are pseudoplastic. These solutions were run in laminar, transition, and turbulent flow in a pipeline flow apparatus designed to permit measurement of dynamic pressure drop and impact pressure by radial traverse. Photographic studies with dye injection used at the tube wall and at the tube center showed that turbulent flow of these pseudoplastic fluids has the following characteristics compared to Newtonian fluids: poor over‐all radial mixing, thicker nonturbulent layer at the wall, and decreased rate of formation of horseshoe vortices at the wall.