Laminar-turbulent transition in polymer solutions

ABSTRACT WHETHER transition from laminar to turbulent flow is delayed in dilute drag-reducing polymer solutions, unchanged, or occurs at an earlier Reynold's number has been a vexing

question since research began in this area. Using the classic Reynold's dye-streak technique, Giles and Pettit1 showed that pipe-flow turbulence was delayed by a factor of 2 or more by

small additions of polymer. Similarly, Castro and Squire2 and White and McEligot3 found transition delay in small pipes from measurements of pressure fluctuations and actual drag-reduction

performance. But more refined pipe-flow studies by Little _et al._4 show convincing evidence for polymer solution transition earlier than for the pure solvent and this has been confirmed by

laser–Doppler annemometry5. Here we show that polymer solutions in a boundary-layer flow exhibit a transition to turbulence at a lower Reynold's number than the pure water solvent.

Access through your institution Buy or subscribe This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution ACCESS OPTIONS Access through your institution Subscribe to this

journal Receive 51 print issues and online access $199.00 per year only $3.90 per issue Learn more Buy this article * Purchase on SpringerLink * Instant access to full article PDF Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout ADDITIONAL ACCESS OPTIONS: * Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer

support SIMILAR CONTENT BEING VIEWED BY OTHERS CORROBORATION OF THE TOMS EFFECT FROM A FRICTIONAL DRAG REDUCING SELF-POLISHING COPOLYMER Article Open access 07 June 2023 TURBULENCE

SUPPRESSION BY CARDIAC-CYCLE-INSPIRED DRIVING OF PIPE FLOW Article 06 September 2023 A SIMPLE YET EFFICIENT APPROACH FOR ELECTROKINETIC MIXING OF VISCOELASTIC FLUIDS IN A STRAIGHT

MICROCHANNEL Article Open access 14 February 2022 REFERENCES * Giles, W. B. & Pettit, W. T. _Nature_ 216, 470 (1967). Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar  * Castro, W. & Squire, W.

_Appl. Sci. Res._ 18, 81 (1967). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * White, W. D. & McEligot, D. M. _Trans ASME, J. Bas. Engng._ 92 D, 411 (1970). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Little, R.

C. _et al._ _I & EC Fundamentals_, 14, 283 (1975). Article  CAS  Google Scholar  * Zakin, J. L., Ni, C. C., Hansen, R. J. & Reishman, M. M. _Proc. IUTAM Symp. Structure of Turbulance

and Drag Reduction_ Washington (1976). * Brennen, C. _J. Fluid Mech._ 44, 33 (1970). Article  ADS  Google Scholar  * Hoyt, J. W., Taylor, J. J. & Runge, C. D. _J. Fluid Mech._ 63, 635

(1974). Article  ADS  Google Scholar  * Hoyt, J. W. & Fabula, A. G. _Proc. 5th Symp. Naval Hydrodynamics_ 947 (1964). Download references AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS *

Naval Systems Engineering Department, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, 21402 J. W. HOYT Authors * J. W. HOYT View author publications You can also search for this author inPubMed 

Google Scholar RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE HOYT, J. Laminar-turbulent transition in polymer solutions. _Nature_ 270, 508–509 (1977).

https://doi.org/10.1038/270508a0 Download citation * Received: 01 August 1977 * Accepted: 14 October 1977 * Issue Date: 08 December 1977 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/270508a0 SHARE THIS

ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Copy to clipboard

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative