ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION The inertialess flow of a fluid through a porous medium is encountered extremely frequently in engineering applications. Common examples include filtration, packed-bed reactors. and enhanced oil recovery by water or polymer flooding. tn the field of polymer processing. as part of the process of synthetic fiber formation, thermoplastic melts are pumped through a filter pack that may consist of sand. wire mesh. or steel spheres and whose purpose is to homogenize the temperature. degrade any polymer gels. and remove foreign matter that may plug the capillaries used to shape the fibers. In many polymer composites manufacturing operations. the proper flow of thermosetting polymeric fluids through uber preforms is central to the success of the entire operation.
