Experimental Study of Turbulence Transport in a Dilute Surfactant Solution Flow Investigated by PIV

Abstract

Drag-reducing flow of dilute surfactant solution in the two-dimensional channel is investigated experimentally by using particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. Five hundred instantaneous velocity frames of u-v in the x-y plane are taken by PIV for every condition. Fluctuation intensity and instantaneous velocity distributions are discussed in order to study the turbulence transport in the drag-reducing flow. As compared with water, the results show that wall-normal velocity fluctuations in the drag-reducing flow are suppressed significantly, and instantaneous velocity distributions display different features. Moreover, the drag-reducing flow exhibits the reduced inclination angle of turbulence transport and appearance of “zero Reynolds shear stress.” High shear dissipation also appears in some solutions. Based on the analysis of the balance of mean and mean turbulent kinetic energies, it is found that the complex rheology, i.e., the elasticity and viscosity of the solution, is considered as the main factor that change the characteristics of turbulence transport.