Experimental Study of Drag Reduction Phenomena within Pipe Flow in a Closed Circuit System Using Surfactant Additives

Abstract

Pipe lines and tubes are used throughout the worlds for the economic transportation of crude oil, petroleum derivatives, gas and water. A drag reduction phenomenon within pipe flow in a closed circuit system was studying experimentally using Surfactant Additives. Closed circuit system consist of two loops pipes (0.0254 m & 0.0508 m) ID respectively was constructed from carbon steel metal , total length of pipe was around 16 m and the test section was 4m. Similar closed circuit system consist of two loops of PVC pipes with the same diameters were also built. The idea of using PVC pipe was to be used inside carbon steel pipe to get smooth surface similar to using complaint coating like epoxy or polyethylene or poly vinyl chloride (PVC). The effect of using two kinds of Anionic and Nonanionic surfactants (SDBS, POEA) Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate and Polyoxyethylene Alcohol respectively were studied, Small amount of surfactant additives (50 ppm up to 300 ppm), were added to the solvent (kerosene) which was selected to be the fluid flow through the closed circuit system, choosing kerosene ( refinery product) to improve its flow (increasing flow rate). A comparison between results obtained by carbon steel and PVC pipes were carried out. The best results obtained indicate that PVC pipe gave around (53% -66%) flow rate increase in kerosene compared with flowing in carbon steel pipe. On addition of additives for SDBS in kerosene improved flow rate about (61% to 69%).