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Drag reduction by Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4.

N Sar¹, E Rosenberg

¹Department of Microbiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology

|September 1, 1987

Summary

Encapsulated Acinetobacter calcoaceticus bacteria significantly reduced turbulent water friction by 55% using their polysaccharide capsules. Cell-bound capsules were more effective at drag reduction than free polymers.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Fluid Dynamics
Biotechnology

Background:

Turbulent drag reduction is crucial for energy efficiency in fluid transport.
Biopolymers offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic drag reducers.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the drag-reducing capabilities of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 biofilms.
To determine the role of bacterial capsules in friction reduction.

Main Methods:

Experiments were conducted using a narrow pipe flow setup.
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 and its capsule-deficient mutants were utilized.
Drag reduction was quantified by measuring friction reduction in turbulent flow.

Main Results:

Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 at 3.6 X 10(9) cells/ml reduced turbulent water friction by 55%.
The encapsulated polysaccharide (0.4 mg/ml) was responsible for the observed drag reduction.
Capsule-deficient mutants did not exhibit drag-reducing properties.
Cell-bound polysaccharide showed three times higher drag-reducing activity compared to free polymer.

Conclusions:

The polysaccharide capsules of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus BD4 are key mediators of turbulent drag reduction.
Cell-associated polysaccharides are more potent drag reducers than their free counterparts.
This finding highlights the potential of bacterial exopolysaccharides for hydrodynamic applications.

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