Pumping process

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED METHOD OF UNIFORMLY MOVING A MASS OF HIGHLY VISCOUS LIQUID IN PLUG FLOW FROM A FIRST POSITION TO A SPACED SECOND POSITION IN A CLOSED CONDUIT, SAID CONDUIT PROVIDED WITH AN INNER SURFACE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING A MASS OF HIGHLY VISCOUS LIQUID INTO THE CONDUIT, CREATING A PRESSURE DROP IN THE CONDUIT ACROSS SAID TWO POSITIONS SUFFICIENT TO MOVE AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE LIQUID IN SAID CONDUIT FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION SO THAT SAID LIQUID IN THE CENTER PORTION OF THE CONDUIT MOVES AT A HIGHER VELOCITY THAN SAID LIQUID IN OUTER PORTIONS ADJACENT THE INNER SURFACE OF THE CONDUIT DUE TO FRICTIONAL FORCES, AND MAINTAINING THE LIQUID IN THE CENTER PORTION OF THE CONDUIT IN UNDISTURBED FLOW CONDITION WHILE APPLYING A SUFFICIENT IMPELLING FORCE ONLY TO SAID OUTER PORTIONS OF THE LIQUID ADJACENT THE INNER SURFACE OF THE CONDUIT SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF LIQUID MOVEMENT IN THE CONDUIT TO PRODUCE SUFFICIENT INCREASED LIQUID FLOW IN SAID PORTIONS SUCH THAT THE VELOCITY OF THE FLOWING LIQUID IN SAID CONDUIT IS SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT THROUGHOUT ANY GIVEN TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTIONAL ZONE OF SAID LIQUID.