Observation on the drag reducing effect of low concentration chitosan solution in turbulent pipe flow

Polymer-based drag reducing agent (DRA) is used widely in various industries due to its ability to enhance fluid flow as well as economically beneficial to various sectors. This study is conducted to observe the drag reducing effect of chitosan as DRA and observed its effect on the turbulent flow inside the pipe. The experiment is conducted in a closed loop circulation system where water is the transport medium. The pipe system consist of acrylic pipes with 0.013 m, 0.025 m and 0.038 m diameter. The chitosan was extracted from shrimp shells and five different concentration of chitosan were tested. The degree of deacetylation of the chitosan shows 97% which indicates its solubility in water. It was found that the highest drag reduction percentage were obtained from 0.038 m pipe of 33 ppm concentration which is 28%. The flow pattern inside the pipe is also analysed and discussed in this study (paper)