| Summary: | In this paper, we present a novel method we have developed for measuring the drag reduction in a dilute polymer solution, based on the triboelectricity phenomenon. The presence of a small quantity of polymer with high molecular density in a liquid decreases the friction of the liquid on solid walls. This property defines drag reduction. The friction itself produces electricity in the liquid known as triboelectricity. In this work, we show that drag reduction can be measured by measuring the triboelectric voltage in the solvent and in the polymer solution. The method was tested on well characterized dilute solution of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and the results obtained agree qualitatively well with those available in the literature, notably showing that for given flow rate, drag reduction by PEO increases with polymer concentration until reaching a plateau. Also, for given concentration, drag reduction increases with flow rate in the range of concentration and flow rate tested. More generally, a similar behavior is expected for any polymer solution obeying the power-law rheological model.
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