Pipeline Drag Reducers

Abstract
Pipeline drag reducers have proven to be an extremely powerful tool in fluid
transportation. High molecular weight polymers are used to reduce the frictional
pressure loss ratio in crude oil pipelines, refined fuel and aqueous pipelines.
Chemical structure of the main used pipeline drag reducers is one of the
following polymers and copolymers classified according to the type of fluid to ; low
density polyethylene, copolymer of 1-hexane cross linked with divinyl benzene,
polyacrylamides, polyalkylene oxide polymers and their copolymers, fluorocarbons,
polyalkylmethacrylates and terpolymer of styrene, alkyl acrylate and acrylic acid .
Drag reduction is the increase in pump ability of a fluid caused by the addition
of small amounts of an additive to the fluid. The effectiveness of a drag reducer is
normally expressed in terms of percent drag reduction.
Frictional pressure loss in a pipeline system is a waste of energy and it costly .
The drag reducing additive minimizes the flow turbulence, increases throughput and
reduces the energy costs. The Flow can be increased by more than 80 % with existing
assets.
The effectiveness of the injected drag reducer in Mostorod to Tanta crude oil
pipeline achieved 35.4 % drag reduction and 23.2 % flow increase of the actual
performance The experimental application of DRA on Arab Petroleum Pipeline
Company (Summed) achieved a flow increase ranging from 9-32 % .