Non-Newtonian Flow through Porous Media. II. Experimental

In the study of the flow of shear-sensitive fluids through porous media, fourteen different aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, and hydroxy-ethylcellulose were investigated. The shear-sensitive viscosities of these fluids were characterized by the three-parameter Ellis model. Two different types of flow behavior were observed: (1) When the volumetric flow rates were held constant, the results were both steady and reversible. The flow data were successfully correlated by a modified Darcy's law. It is shown that the characteristic time of the fluid can be used to designate regions of behavior where elastic effects are important. (2) When the pressure drop across the porous medium was held constant, the results were both unsteady and irreversible. In this case, polymer adsorption and gel formation were believed to have occurred throughout the bed.