Drag of a Circular Cylinder in Surfactant Solutions at Intermediate Reynolds Number Range

Abstract

To clarify the behavior of the drag coefficient of a circular cylinder in the intermediate Reynolds number range, the flow around a circular cylinder in surfactant solutions was investigated experimentally by measurement of the drag in the Reynolds number range of 3 × 102 to 7 × 103. The experiments were performed in a vertical re-circulating water tunnel. The drag coefficient was measured using an apparatus which could measure the drag acting on the circular cylinder directly. Five cylinders of diameter d = 5, 7, 10, 13 and 20 mm were tested, the ratios of length to diameter (l/d) were 12, 24 and 48. The test surfactant solutions were aqueous solutions of Ethoquad O/12 at concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 ppm, and sodium salicylate was added as a counterion. It was clarified that the drag coefficient of the cylinder in surfactant solutions increased comparing that in tap water in the Reynolds number lower approximately 103 < Re < 3 × 103. According to the increase of the Reynolds number, the drag coefficient decreased. When Reynolds number exceeded approximately 103 < Re < 3 × 103, the drag coefficient in surfactant decreased in comparison with that in tap water finally. In other ward, the drag reduction occurred in this Reynolds number range. The maximum drag reduction was about 55% for 200 ppm solution and 20mm diameter at Re ≅ 7 × 103. The value of the drag coefficient in surfactant solutions was dependent on not only (l/d) but also cylinder diameter. The drag coefficient increased with increasing cylinder diameter. The increase in the concentration of surfactant solution emphasized the characteristics of drag reduction and drag increase.