A Study on the Drag and Heat Transfer Reduction Phenomena and Degradation Effects of the Viscoelastic Fluids

점탄성유체의 저항 및 열전달 감소현상과 퇴화의 영향에 관한 연구

The drag and heat transfer reduction phenomena and degradation effects of drag reducing polymer solutions which are known as the viscoelastic fluids are investigated experimentally for the turbulent circular tube flows. Two stainless steel tubes are used for the experimental flow loops. Aqueous solutions of Polyacrylamide Separan AP-273 with concentrations from 300 to 1000 wppm are used as working fluids. Flow loops are set up to measure the friction factors and heat transfer coefficients of test tubes in the once-through system and the recirculating flow system. Test tubes are heated by power supply directly to apply constant heat flux boundary conditions on the wall. Capillary tube viscometer and falling ball viscometer are used to measure the viscous characteristics of fluids and the characteristic relaxation time of a fluid is determined by the Powell-Eyring model. The order of magnidude of the thermal entrance length of a drag reducing polymer solution is close to the order of magnitude of the laminar entrance length of Newtonian fluids. Dimensionless heat transfer coefficients of the viscoelastic non-Newtonian fluids may be represented as a function of flow behavior index n and newly defined viscoelastic Graetz number. As degradation continues viscosity and the characteristic relaxation time of the testing fluids decrease and heat transfer coefficients increase. The characteristic relaxation time is used to define the Weissenberg number and variations of friction factors and heat transfer coefficients due to degradation are presented in terms of the Weissenberg number.