Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-jwnkl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-15T18:06:08.772Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Grid-generated turbulence in dilute polymer solutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 March 2006

Carl A. Friehe
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218 Present address: Department of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037.
W. H. Schwarz
Affiliation:
Department of Mechanics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218

Abstract

Measurements were made of some of the properties of grid-generated, turbulence for several concentrations of a drag-reducing polymer additive in water. Reference measurements of the grid pressure drops, streamwise intensities and one-dimensional spectra in pure water agreed with previous measurements obtained in Newtonian fluids. Corresponding results for the polymer solutions showed that the grid pressure drops were generally lowered, the turbulence intensity levels were increased and the one-dimensional energy spectra were unchanged compared to the results in water. A dimensionless rate of decay correlation was introduced which removed the dependence of the rate of decay on the initial conditions of grid-generated turbulence for Newtonian fluids: the polymer solution decay results did not follow this correlation, indicating that the decay process is different in these fluids. The one-dimensional energy spectra of the turbulence in the polymer solutions were of the same shape as those in Newtonian fluids, and were normalized with modified Kolmogoroff variables using an effective viscosity (Lumley 1964) and the viscous dissipation in order to provide a quantitative comparison to Newtonian spectra. All of the normalized spectra in the polymer solutions collapsed to a single curve which coincided with the normalized Newtonian spectral curve. It was also found that the rate of decay was less than the viscous dissipation in the polymer solutions, in accordance with recent theoretical predictions.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1970 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

Barnard, B. J. S. & Sellin, R. H. J. 1969 Grid turbulence in dilute polymer solutions. Nature, Lond. 222, 1160.Google Scholar
Batchelor, G. K. 1960 The Theory of Homogeneous Turbulence. Cambridge University Press.
Bate, H. G. 1967 Orifice plate calibration in a dilute polymer solution. Nature, Lond. 216, 1100.Google Scholar
Bruce, C. A. & Schwarz, W. H. 1969 Rheological properties of ionic and non-ionic polyacrylamide solutions. J. Polymer Sci. (A-2) 7, 909.Google Scholar
Chow, P. L. & Saibel, E. 1967 Some non-Newtonian effects in the decay of isotropic turbulence. Int. J. Engr. Sci. 5, 723.Google Scholar
Comte-Bellot, G. & Corrsin, S. 1966 The use of a contraction to improve the isotropy of grid-generated turbulence. J. Fluid Mech. 25, 657.Google Scholar
Corrsin, S. 1963 Turbulence: experimental methods. Handbuch der Physik, vol. VIII/2 (eds. S. Flugge & C. A. Truesdell). Berlin: Springer.
Gibson, C. H. & Schwarz, W. H. 1963 The universal equilibrium spectra of turbulent velocity and scalar fields. J. Fluid Mech. 16, 365.Google Scholar
Fabula, A. G. 1966 An experimental study of grid turbulence in dilute high-polymer solutions. Ph.D. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.
Friehe, C. A. & Schwarz, W. H. 1969 The use of Pitot static tubes and hot-film anemometers in dilute polymer solutions. Viscous Drag Reduction, p. 281 (ed. C. S. Wells). New York: Plenum Press.
Johnson, B. & Barchi, R. H. 1968 Effect of drag-reducing additives on boundary-layer turbulence. J. Hydro. 2, 168.Google Scholar
Lumley, J. L. 1964 Turbulence in non-Newtonian fluids. Phys. Fluids, 7, 335.Google Scholar
Lumley, J. L. 1967 The Toms phenomenon: anomalous effects in turbulent flow of dilute solutions of high-molecular-weight linear polymers. Appl. Mech. Rev. 20, 1139.Google Scholar
Lumley, J. L. 1969 Drag reduction by additives. Annual Reviews of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 1, p. 367 (eds. W. R. Sears & M. Van Dyke). Palo Alto: Annual Reviews.
Ripkin, J. F. & Pilch, M. 1964 St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory Rep. 71. University of Minnesota.
Singh, K. 1966 Non-Newtonian effects on the turbulent energy spectrum function. Ph.D. Thesis, The Pennsylvania State University.
Smith, K. A., Merrill, E. W., Mickley, H. S. & Virk, P. S. 1967 Anomalous pitot tube and hot film measurements in dilute polymer solutions. Chem. Engr. Sci. 22, 619.Google Scholar
Spangler, J. G. 1969 Studies of viscous drag reduction with polymers including turbulence measurements and roughness effects. Viscous Drag Reduction, p. 131 (ed. C. S. Wells). New York: Plenum Press.
Tanner, R. I. & Pipkin, A. C. 1969 Intrinsic errors in pressure-hole measurements. Trans. Soc. Rheol. 13, 471.Google Scholar
Virk, P. S., Merrill, E. W., Mickley, H. S., Smith, K. A. & Mollo-Christensen, E. 1967 The Toms phenomenon: turbulent pipe flow of dilute polymer solutions. J. Fluid Mech. 30, 305.Google Scholar
Virk, P. S. & Merrill, E. W. 1969 The onset of dilute polymer solution phenomenon. Viscous Drag Reduction, p. 107 (ed. C. S. Wells). New York: Plenum Press.