Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Polymer drag reduction with surface roughness in flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flow

  • Original
  • Published:
Experiments in Fluids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 09 March 2004

Abstract

Experimental results from a study of surface roughness effects on polymer drag reduction in a zero-pressure gradient flat-plate turbulent boundary layer are presented. Both slot-injected polymer and homogeneous polymer ocean cases were considered over a range of flow conditions and surface roughness. Balance measurements of skin friction drag reduction are presented. Drag reductions over 60% were measured for both the injected and homogeneous polymer cases even with fully rough surfaces. As the roughness increased, higher polymer concentration was required to achieve a given level of drag reduction for the homogeneous case. With polymer injection, increasing surface roughness caused the drag reduction to decrease to low levels more quickly when the polymer expenditure was decreased or the freestream velocity was increased. However, the percent drag reductions on the rough surfaces with polymer injection were often substantially larger than on the smooth surface. Remarkably, in some cases, the skin friction drag force on a rough surface with polymer injection was less than the drag force observed on a smooth surface at comparable conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 11.
Fig. 12.
Fig. 13.
Fig. 14.
Fig. 15.
Fig. 16.
Fig. 17.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Antonia R, Luxton R (1971) The response of a turbulent boundary layer to a step change in surface roughness. J Fluid Mech 48:721–761

    Google Scholar 

  • Balakirshnan C, Gordon R (1971) New viscoelastic phenomenon and turbulent drag reduction. Nature Phys Sci 213:177–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Clauser F (1956) In: Dryden H, Von Karman T (eds) Advances in applied mechanics, vol 4. Academic, New York, pp 1–51

  • Fontaine A, Petrie H, Brungart T (1992) Velocity profile statistics in a turbulent boundary layer with slot-injected polymer. J Fluid Mech 238:435–466

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kato H, Fuji Y, Yamaguchi H, Miyanaga M (1993) Frictional drag reduction by injecting high viscosity fluid into the turbulent boundary layer. Trans ASME JFE 115:206–212

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krogstad P, Antonia R (1999) Surface roughness effects in turbulent boundary layers. Exp Fluids 27:450–460

    Google Scholar 

  • Madavan N, Deutsch S, Merkle C (1984) Reduction of turbulent skin friction by microbubbles. Phys Fluids 27:356–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madavan N, Deutsch S, Merkle C (1985) Numerical investigations into the mechanisms of micro-bubble drag reduction. J Fluids Eng 107:370–377

    Google Scholar 

  • Merrill E, Smith K, Shin H, Mickley H (1966) Study of turbulent flows of dilute polymer solution in a Couette viscometer. Trans Soc Rheol 10:335–351

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nikuradse J (1933) Stromungsgesetze in rauhen Rohren. Forschungshefte 361, VDI: NACA Technical Mem 1292

  • Petrie H, Fontaine A, Brungart T (1996) Drag reduction on a flat plate at high Reynolds number with slot-injected polymer solutions. ASME FED Vol 237, Fluids Eng Div Summer Conf Proc 2:3–9

    Google Scholar 

  • Petrie H, Fontaine A (1996) Comparison of turbulent boundary layer modifications with slot-injected and homogeneous drag-reducing polymer solutions. ASME FED Vol 237, Fluids Eng Div Summer Conf Proc 2:205–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Poreh M, Cermak J (1964) Study of diffusion from a line source in a turbulent boundary layer. Int J Heat Mass Transfer 7:1083–1095

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raupach M, Antonia R, Rajagopalan S (1991) Rough-wall turbulent boundary layers. Appl Mech Rev 44:1–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Sedov L, Ioselevich A, Pilipenko V, Vasetskaya N (1979) Turbulent diffusion and degradation of polymer molecules in a pipe and boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 194:561–576

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz M, Swain G (1999) The effect of biofilms on turbulent boundary layers. Trans ASME JFE 121:44–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Smits A, Wood D (1985) The response of turbulent boundary layers to sudden perturbations. Ann Rev Fluid Mech 17:321–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spangler J (1969) Studies of viscous drag reduction with polymers including turbulence measurements and roughness effects. In: Wells C.S. (ed) Viscous Drag Reduction. Plenum, New York, pp 131–157

  • Vdovin A, Smol’yakov A (1978) Diffusion of polymer solutions in a turbulent boundary layer. Zh Prikl Mekh Tekh Fiz 2:66–73. (Transl in UDC 532.526, Plenum, pp 196–201)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vdovin A, Smol’yakov A (1981) Turbulent diffusion of polymers in a boundary layer. Zh Prikl Mekh Tekh Fiz 4:98–104. (Transl in UDC 532.526 (1982) Plenum, pp 526–531)

    Google Scholar 

  • Virk P, Mickley H, Smith, K (1970) The ultimate asymptote and mean flow structure in Toms phenomenon. Trans ASME J Appl Mech 37:488–493

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Virk P (1971) Drag reduction in rough pipes. J Fluid Mech 45:225–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Virk P (1975) Drag reduction fundamentals. AIChE J 21:625–656

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • White F (1974) Viscous fluid flow. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 490–491

  • Wu J, Tulin M (1972) Drag reduction by ejecting additive solutions into pure water boundary layer. Trans ASME J Basic Eng 94:749–756

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported under subcontract by Cortana Corp., Falls Church, VA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Research Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, P.O. Box 30, State College, PA, 16804, USA

    H. L. Petrie, S. Deutsch, T. A. Brungart & A. A. Fontaine

Authors
  1. H. L. Petrie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Deutsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. A. Brungart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. A. Fontaine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. L. Petrie.

Additional information

An erratum to this article can be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00348-004-0803-5

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Petrie, H.L., Deutsch, S., Brungart, T.A. et al. Polymer drag reduction with surface roughness in flat-plate turbulent boundary layer flow. Exp Fluids 35, 8–23 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-003-0589-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-003-0589-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation