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Okra as a drag reducer for high Reynolds numbers water flows

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Abstract

The capability of a mixture of okra fiber and mucilage as drag reducer in high Reynolds number flows through a pipeline, in which the flux is maintained by a centrifugal pump with controlled rotation, is analyzed. A DR close to the maximum drag reduction asymptote, which is obtained for polymeric additives, was achieved when concentrations around 1600 ppm were used. The loss of efficiency of the solution over the number of passes through the system was almost the same of that observed for rigid materials like Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum, which suggest that the main cause of a decreasing drag reduction is the de-aggregation instead of mechanical degradation, commonly observed in flexible polymers. As expected, the material degrades biologically, but it seems that it is not a great problem for open systems, since such a degradation is perceptible only after 24 h. We strongly believe that this new bio-drag reducer can be an alternative to synthetic polymers or other biopolymers, since it is extremely cheap and easy to be obtained.

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Notes

  1. Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by nearly all plants and some microorganisms. It is a polar glycoprotein, a natural polymer of high molecular weight.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partially funded by grants from CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento), ANP (Agência Nacional de Petróleo) and PETROBRAS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. LABREO, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Avenida Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, 29075-910, ES, Brazil

    Eduardo C. Coelho, Kelvin C. O. Barbosa & Edson J. Soares

  2. LPMF, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo - Campus São Mateus, Rod. BR 101 norte, km 58, Litorâneo, São Mateus, ES, 29932-540, Brazil

    Renato N. Siqueira

  3. LabRMN, Department of Physics, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Av. Fernando Ferrari, 514, Goiabeiras, Vitória, ES, 29075-910, Brazil

    Jair C. C. Freitas

Authors
  1. Eduardo C. Coelho
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  2. Kelvin C. O. Barbosa
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  3. Edson J. Soares
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  4. Renato N. Siqueira
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  5. Jair C. C. Freitas
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Correspondence to Edson J. Soares.

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Coelho, E.C., Barbosa, K.C.O., Soares, E.J. et al. Okra as a drag reducer for high Reynolds numbers water flows. Rheol Acta 55, 983–991 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-016-0974-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00397-016-0974-z

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