Pipeline scale‐up in drag reducing turbulent flow

Models available in literature for predicting drag reduction scale‐up are inadequate as they have been successful only over a narrow range of diameters. A new scale‐up model is presented which equates dampening of turbulent velocity fluctuations by drag reducing additives to a reduction in the Prandtl mixing length. Flow and pressure drop data from a laboratory scale pipe along with shear viscosity measurements are sufficient to predict drag reduction scale‐up in bigger diameter pipes. Using this approach, scale‐up was successfully predicted over a diameter range of 7 to 154 mm for a surfactant‐water system and 26.6 to 1194 mm for a polymer‐oil system.