Analysis of the mass transfer entry region for drag-reducing viscoelastic fluids in turbulent pipe flow

The analysis of the mass transfer entry and fully-developed regions in turb ulent flow of drag-reducing viscoelastic fluids within circular tubes is pe rformed in order to determine characteristics parameters to describe this r elated phenomenon. The mass diffusion equation is solved by the Classical I ntegral Transform Technique in conjunction with both the well-established S ign-Count Method and the so-called Generalized Integral Transform Technique (GITT) to solve the auxiliary eigenvalue problem. In light of these method ologies benchmark results for Sherwood numbers are systematically calculate d for both regions studied, which are compared with previous others obtaine d from empirical correlation of current usage in the literature showing an excellent agreement. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd.