Polymer drag reduction: A review through the lens of coherent structures in wall-bounded turbulent flows

Abstract

The current work qualitatively surveys the phenomenon of polymer drag reduction from the standpoint of the salient coherent motions in the near-wall region of wall-bounded turbulent flows. In an attempt to make the work self-containing, turbulence is introduced phenomenologically in terms of the scale separation concept. In concert with this theme, the idea of drag crisis is then developed in terms of reduction in this scale separation. Leveraging such a perspective, it is explained how the polymer chain dynamics spatiotemporally modulate the near-wall structure of turbulent boundary layers to affect drag reduction. To this end, a sea of literature pertaining to coherent motions in Newtonian wall-bounded flows is juxtaposed with the turbulence-inhibiting characteristics of polymer chains to develop a polymer-modified version for the near-wall cycle of turbulence generation and its sustenance. The future of polymer drag reduction, in light of the current state of knowledge and contemporary challenges, is also discussed.