A portable system for testing a water and coagulant sample, the system comprising:
- a user-removable chamber for holding the water and coagulant sample wherein:
- the chamber comprises:
- a substantially square shaped horizontal cross section;
- at least one see-through side wall;
- and
- an aperture located in a top portion of the chamber;
- the chamber is configured for:
- receiving the water and coagulant sample through the aperture;
- and
- manually disposing the water and coagulant sample through the aperture;
- and
- an instrument configured for insertion partially into the water and coagulant sample in the chamber, wherein:
- the instrument is portable;
- the instrument is configured for:
- manual vertical insertion of a first instrument part through the aperture;
- manual vertical insertion of the first instrument part into the water and coagulant sample in the chamber;
- manual vertical movement of a second instrument part parallel to the outside of the see-through wall when the first instrument part is manually inserted into the water and coagulant sample in the chamber;
- and
- viewing suspended particles in a region of the water and coagulant sample in the chamber wherein the region is in the bottom half of the user-removable see-thru walled chamber;
- the instrument comprises a first light source configured for:
- vertical manual submersion into the region in the chamber;
- and
- illumination of the particles in the region from a first side;
- the instrument comprises a second light source configured for:
- vertical manual submersion into the region in the chamber at the same elevation as the first light source;
- and
- illumination of the particles in the region from a second side that is opposite to the first side;
- the instrument comprises a contrast plate wherein:
- the contrast plate is configured for manual vertical submersion into the region in the chamber;
- the contrast plate is located on a third side of the region at the same elevation as the first light source and the second light source wherein the third side is perpendicular to the first and second sides;
- and
- the contrast plate comprises a dark opaque material;
- the instrument comprises a digital optical camera wherein:
- the digital optical camera is located on a second instrument part that is configured to stay outside of the removable chamber when the first instrument part is inserted into the aperture;
- the digital optical camera is configured for being located outside of the chamber and facing the chamber with a horizontal view of the region from a fourth side of the region wherein:
- the fourth side is opposite of the third side;
- the view is at the same elevation as the first light source, the second light source and the contrast plate;
- and
- the view is through the see-through wall;
- the digital camera is located on the opposite side of the see-through wall from the first light source, the second light source, and the contrast plate;
- and
- the digital camera is configured for recording a plurality of digital images of the illuminated suspended particles;
- the instrument comprises a mixing unit that comprises a mixing paddle and a mixer motor wherein:
- the mixing paddle is configured for submersion into the water and coagulant sample in the chamber at the same elevation as the first light source, the second light source, and the contrast plate;
- the mixing paddle comprises at least one blade that is configured to be located at approximately the same vertical location as the region;
- the mixing paddle is connected and responsive to the shaft of the mixer motor;
- and
- the mixer motor comprises a stepper motor;
- the contrast plate is located between the mixing paddle and the region;
- the instrument comprises a user-programmable controller wherein:
- the first light source, the second light source, the digital camera, and the mixing motor are responsive to the user-programmable controller;
- the controller is configured for receiving image data from the digital camera during:
- a flocculation phase when the mixer motor is on;
- and
- a settling phase when the mixer motor is off, wherein the settling phase occurs after the flocculation phase;
- the controller comprises a real time clock;
- the instrument comprises a user-programmable input device wherein:
- the controller is responsive to the input device;
- the mixing speed during the flocculation phase is stored by the controller and responsive to the input device;
- and
- the duration of flocculation phase is stored by the controller and responsive to the input device and the real time clock;
- the instrument comprises a display wherein:
- the display is responsive to the controller;
- and
- the display is configured for presenting a graph of a floc characteristic as a function of time during the flocculation phase and the settling phase, wherein the floc characteristic is selected from the group of:
- floc particle count wherein the floc particle count comprises a count of the quantity of suspended floc particles divided by a volume of the region;
- computed average floc particle volume;
- floc volume concentration wherein the floc volume concentration comprises the ratio of a volume of the suspended particles in the region divided by the total volume of the region;
- and
- equivalent average spherical floc particle diameter;
- and
- wherein the floc characteristic has been computed by computer code in the controller in response to the image data and time data from the real time clock.