The generation of electric currents by the turbulent flow of dielectric liquids. I. Long pipes

Abstract

A theoretical model has been developed for the electric currents generated by the turbulent flow of fuels through long smooth pipes. The model equations have been solved numerically for a wide range of Reynolds numbers and conductivities and four approximate solutions with more limited ranges of application have been derived. One of the approximate solutions, the intermediate conductivity solution is potentially useful in predicting currents for conditions in which electrostatic hazards may occur. The authors model solutions preserve those aspects of earlier calculations that are in agreement with experiment, but also predict some experimentally observed features, such as polarity changes, that are not explained by the earlier work. At high conductivities there are some discrepancies between the authors theory and experiment. These probably occur because the experiments were carried out in pipes that were hydraulically rough, whereas the theory was derived for smooth pipes.