Performance of suspended fiber and anionic surfactant as drag reducing agent for transporting system

Abstract

Motivated by the important of power saving during fluid transmission through pipelines, this study conducted to investigate the possible potential of suspended copper and anionic surfactant (GAELE360) as drag reducing agent where the study parameters are varied in solution concentration, solution mixture and fluid Re. The experimental rig consisted of closed loop circulation system was built for the pressure drop analysis. In order to enhance the finding, the CMC of GAELE360 was conducted by means of surface tension analysis and was found around 200 ppm. It was found that the copper suspension and GAELE360 solution capable to achieved drag reduction up to 40 % while the mixture solution obtained maximum drag reduction up to 13 %. Thus, concluded that both tested materials are excellence to be use as drag reducing agent. A profound indicates that the fibers interaction inside pipe was identified as a source of drag reduction in a presence of suspended fiber while the alignment of micelle network with the eddies is believed to be the key mechanism behind the drag reduction phenomena of anionic surfactant.