Re-examining drag reduction: the important interplay between surface and fluid properties

由于对降低全球能源消耗的需求，过程效率处于科学挑战的前沿。为了在“大能量”工艺中实现效率增益，需要修改化学和物理性质。减阻剂等化学添加剂用于改变管道压降，并且无疑导致总体泵送功率要求的降低。然而，由于缺乏对固-液和液-液界面处的化学-流体相互作用的关注，减阻的机理还没有得到充分的理解。该研究项目将考虑减阻的胶体科学和流体力学方面，定义表面性质和本体流体效应之间的机械关系。研究问题将展示从纳米尺度的表面形貌，通过滑移长度修改和湍流涡流阻尼的可扩展性。该项目将需要一系列建模技术（从根本上描述减阻机制）。

Process efficiency is at the forefront of scientific challenges due to the demand for lower global energy consumption. To achieve efficiency gains in "big-energy" processes, modifications of the chemical and physical properties are required. Chemical additives such as drag reducing agents are used to modify pipeline pressure drops, and have undoubtedly led to reductions in the overall pumping power requirements. However, the mechanism for drag reduction is not adequately understood due to a lack of attention given to the chemical-fluid interactions at the solid-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces. The research project will consider both the colloidal science and fluid mechanics aspects of drag reduction, defining the mechanistic relationship between surface properties and bulk fluid effects. The research problem will demonstrate scalability from nano-scale surface topographies, through to slip-length modification and turbulent eddy dampening. The project will require a range of modelling techniques (to fundamentally describe the mechanism for drag reduction.