Response of Viscoelastic Turbulent Pipeflow Past Square Bar Roughness: The Effect on Mean Flow

Abstract

The influence of viscoelastic polymer additives on response and recovery of turbulent pipeflow over square bar roughness elements was examined using Direct Numerical Simulations at a Reynolds number of 5×103. Two different bar heights for the square bar roughness elements were examined, h/D=0.05 and 0.1. A Finitely Extensible Non-linear Elastic-Peterlin (FENE-P) rheological model was employed for modeling viscoelastic fluid features. The rheological parameters for the simulation corresponded to a high concentration polymer of 160 ppm. Recirculation regions formed behind the bar elements by the viscoelastic fluid were shorter than those associated with Newtonian fluid, which was attributed to mixed effects of viscous and elastic forces due to the added polymers. The recovery of the mean viscoelastic flow was faster. The pressure losses on the surface of the roughness were larger compared to the Newtonian fluid, and the overall contribution to local drag was reduced due to viscoelastic effects.