An experimental study of the drag reducing surfactant for district heating and cooling

Drag reducing surfactants can be applied to decrease pressure losses in closed circulation pipelines systems like district heating and cooling. This article represents empirical lab scale study of the two drag reducing products developed by AkzoNobel (Sweden) specifically for aqueous solutions for different temperature ranges. Two main issues stopped previous researches of drag reducing agents: heat transfer reduction in shell and tube heat exchanger and environmental concerns. Current shift to heat supply based on renewable energy sources and small-scale biogas CHP plants will no longer require such kind of heat exchangers. It opens opportunities for new surfactants and its application in district heating. This research outlines environmental properties of the two surfactants including its biodegradability rates.