A Review of the Application of Polymers to Drag Reduction in Horizontal Pipelines

In recent years, due to the importance of fluid transfer, much attention has been paid to the amount of energy consumption in this field. Much research has been done over the years on controlling energy consumption and optimizing transmission pipelines. By controlling the pressure drop, which is mainly due to increase friction and drag coefficient, the energy consumption of the fluid transfer pumps can be reduced and the capacity of the transmission pipelines can be increased. Using drag-reduction agents is one of the most important and simplest ways to overcome some of the energy losses during fluid transfer. Drag-reducing agents include surfactants, polymers, microbubbles, and so on. Polymers are widely used as drag-reducing material, and their usage is a fast and cost-effective solution for making changes in transmission pipelines. At very low concentrations, these materials can significantly reduce the frictional forces in pipelines. The use of drag-reducing polymers is a good alternative to increase the capacity of pipelines. Injection of drag-reducing polymers into the lines, in addition to reduce frictional pressure, increases the operational safety of pipelines, especially in worn-out pipes, and reduces energy consumption in pumps. Due to the remarkable properties of drag-reducing polymers in horizontal pipelines, their application in pipelines has been investigated in this study. Also, the parameters affecting the reduction of friction forces using drag-reducing polymers have been reviewed.