Experimental Study for Enhancement of Water Flow in Horizontal Pipelines by Using Nanoparticles of Zinc Oxide and Poly Acrylic Acid

Abstract

Process industries need to move fluid over long distances in pipes of various capacities, consuming a lot of energy and raising the cost of establishing and maintaining pumping stations. Therefore, additives were used to reduce such costs and overcome fluid resistance. This work used Poly Acrylic acid (PAA) added to the water at different concentrations of 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 ppm. This work used rough pipes (P.V.C. covered in sand) of different diameters, i.e., 17, 23, and 26.5 mm, to experiment. After that, the 500 ppm of (PAA+ water) solution was mixed with 0.3% and 0.6% Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO) at different flow rates, i.e., 44.2, 40, 35.9, 31, 26.2, and 20.8) l/min at 25 °C The effect of polymer, nanoparticle concentrations, flow rate, and diameter on percentage drag reduction (%Dr) and friction factor was investigated. The results showed an increase of percentage drag reduction % Dr was observed as NP concentration and bulk velocity increased. The drag reduction enhancement was 47% at 0.6% ZnO NP concentration with 500 ppm of PAA solution at a 44.2 l/min flow rate and a diameter of 17mm. The experimental data were also used to calculate the friction factors. The results showed a decrease in friction factors when using a 500 PAA solution: 37% and 54% for 0.6% ZnO NP with the solution.

Keywords

• Drag reduction
• Friction factor
• Poly acrylic acid
• Zinc oxide nanoparticles
• Nanofluid