Experimental Study on Drag Reduction Effects of New Non-Ionic Surfactants

The drag reduction (DR) and heat transfer efficiency reduction (ER) of non-ionic surfactant were investigated as a function of fluid velocity, temperature, and surfactant concentration. An experimental apparatus consisting of two temperature controlled water storage tanks, pumps, test specimen pipe and the piping network, two flow meters, two pressure gauges, a heat exchanger, and data logging system was built. From the experimental results, it was concluded that existing alkyl ammonium surfactant (CTAC Cethyl Trimethyl Ammonium Chloride) had DR of $0.6{\sim}0.8$ at $1,000{\sim}2,000ppm$ concentration with fluid temperature ranging between $50{\sim}60^{\circ}C$. However, the DR was very low when the fluid temperature was $70{\sim}80^{\circ}C$. The new amine oxide and betaine surfactant(SAOB Stearyl Amine Oxide + Betaine) had lower DR at fluid temperatures ranging between $50{\sim}60^{\circ}C$ compared with CTAC. However, with fluid temperature ranging between $70{\sim}80^{\circ}C$ the DR was $0.6{\sim}0.8$ when the concentration level was $1,000{\sim}2,000ppm$.