The Flow of Viscoelastic Polymer Solution in Porous Media

A novel flow model of viscoelastic polymer solution flowing in porous media is established and the degradation is also considered. The new model is more accurate to describe the rheological characteristics and flow characterization of viscoelastic polymer solution and should be useful for the analysis of mechanism associated with seepage of non-Newtonian fluids and gels. The results illustrate that it is the constitutive equation that makes the seepage law of viscoelastic polymer fluid different from that of viscous fluid. Tensile stress was added to the constitutive equation of viscoelastic polymer fluid while the rheology law of Newtonian fluid is mainly controlled by shearing stress. Polymer fluid properties, porous media structure and seepage velocity can all influence the viscoelastic effect of polymer fluid.