S0501-1-5 Flow characteristics of bacterial cellulose suspension

Abstract

Drag reduction due to bacterial cellulose suspensions with small environmental loading was investigated. Experiments were curried out by measuring the pressure drop of a pipe flow. It has been reported that the bacterial cellulose suspensions cause the drag reduction phenomena in the turbulent flow range. The fiber of bacterial cellulose forms complicated network in the suspension. It is obtained about 10 % in the maximum drag reduction ratio of the friction factor. Drag reduction ratio increases with increasing the concentration of bacterial cellulose suspension. The drag reduction effect of bacterial cellulose suspension becomes lower under mechanical shear.