A method is provided for characterizing fluid flow in a pipe where the fluid includes a drag reducing polymer of a particular type and particular concentration. A computational model is configured to model flow of a fluid in a pipe. The computational model utilizes an empirical parameter for a drag reducing polymer of the particular type and the particular concentration. The computational model can be used to derive information that characterizes the flow of the fluid in the pipe. The empirical parameter for the particular type and the particular concentration of the drag reducing polymer can be identified by solving another computational model that is configured to model turbulent Couette flow in a Couette device for a fluid that includes a drag reducing polymer of the particular type and the particular concentration. The empirical data needed for identification of the empirical parameter are obtained from Couette device experiments.