Abstract: A method of moving materials comprises: flowing a first fluid in an axial direction, the first fluid characterized by inertial forces dominating viscous forces of the first fluid; flowing a second fluid in the axial direction, the first and second fluids miscible with one another and the first and second fluids having an interface region therebetween; permitting a reaction to create a reaction product in the interface region, the reaction product mitigating flow-disrupting mixing between the first and second fluids.

Abstract: Particles are separated from a source viscoplastic fluid by flowing streams of the viscoplastic fluid and a destination fluid in parallel streamed relationship inside a rotating cylindrical annulus by using baffles to introduce each fluid independently at an inlet lower end of the annulus and for separating the upper streams consisting of an un-yielded source and destination flow proximate the radially innermost side of the annulus, a bulk axial flow in a more central region and a yielded layer destination flow adjacent the radial outermost side of the annulus which contains the particles that have separated. Inlet and outlet baffles are provided at each end of the vertically oriented device to maintain the flows discrete on entry and to maintain the separated flows discrete on exit so as to facilitate removal of the component flows from the fractionator.

Abstract: Particles are separated from a source viscoplastic fluid by flowing streams of the viscoplastic fluid and a destination fluid in parallel streamed relationship inside a rotating cylindrical annulus (FIG. 16 (106, 102b) by using baffles (112, 114) to introduce each fluid independently at an inlet lower end of the annulus and for separating the upper streams consisting of an un-yielded source and destination flow proximate the radially innermost side of the annulus, a bulk axial flow in a more central region and a yielded layer destination flow adjacent the radial outermost side of the annulus which contains the particles that have separated. Inlet and outlet baffles are provided at each end of the vertically oriented device to maintain the flows discrete on entry and to maintain the separated flows discrete on exit so as to facilitate removal of the component flows from the fractionator. The flow is maintained as laminar Poiseuille flow by adjusting the flow rates of the source and destination fluids.