Automated water sample collecting system

An automated water sampling system for collecting multiple samples of sample water at a remote site comprising:

• a multiport valve having a plurality of ports and respective port inlets, a sample water intake line coupled to the respective port inlets, and valve means for individually opening and closing the port inlets;
• a plurality of sample receivers coupled to respective ports of the multiport valve;
• the water sample receivers each comprising an elongate container having a sample water opening at one end, a pumping water opening at the other end, and containing a slidable sealing piston slidable between the ends of the elongate container in response to differential pressure across the piston, each elongate container being coupled to a respective port of the multiport valve at the sample water opening end and to a respective manifold outlet of the output manifold at the pumping water opening end;
• the initial position of the piston in respective sample receivers before a respective sample collecting event being adjacent to the sample water opening end of the elongate container, and the elongate container being back filled from the pumping water opening end with pumping water;
• at least one container of cleaning liquid coupled to a port of the multiport valve, said cleaning liquid container comprising an elongate container having a cleaning liquid opening at one end, a pumping water opening at the other end, and containing a slidable sealing piston slidable between the ends of the elongate container in response to differential pressure across the piston, said elongate container being coupled to a respective port of the multiport valve at the cleaning liquid opening end and to a respective manifold outlet of the output manifold at the pumping water opening end;
• and wherein the starting position of the piston in said cleaning fluid container is adjacent to the pumping water opening end with the elongate container filled with cleaning liquid;
• an output manifold having a plurality of manifold outlets coupled to the respective sample receivers and to said at least one container of cleaning liquid at the respective pumping water opening ends, and a water output line coupled to the plurality of manifold outlets;
• a reversible pump coupled to the water output line for pumping and drawing sample water through the sample water intake line into selected sample receivers and for pumping and pushing cleaning liquid from at least one cleaning liquid container out the sample water intake line;
• and a programmable controller coupled to the valve means and pump, said controller being programmable to cause pumping and drawing of sample water into the intake line and into respective sample receivers in series in a timed sequence of sample collecting events, said controller also being programmable for reversing the pump and pumping and pushing cleaning liquid from said at least one cleaning liquid container out the sample water intake line to wash away befouling material between the sample collecting events.

A method for automatically sampling water at a remote site using a multiport valve having a plurality of ports and respective port inlets, a sample water intake line coupled to the respective port inlets, and valve means for individually opening and closing the port inlets comprising:

• selectively opening a first port inlet and first port;
• pumping and drawing sample water through the sample water intake line and first port inlet into a first sample receiver coupled to the respective first port for collecting a first sample;
• closing the first port inlet and first port;
• selectively opening a cleaning port inlet and respective cleaning port of the multiport valve;
• reversing the pumping direction, pumping and pushing cleaning liquid from a cleaning liquid container coupled to the respective cleaning port out the sample water intake line, and washing away befouling material the cleaning port inlet and respective cleaning port;
• waiting a predetermined period of time;
• selectively opening a second port inlet and respective second port;
• pumping and drawing sample water through the sample water intake line and second port inlet into a second sample receiver coupled to the respective second port for collecting a second sample;
• closing the second port inlet and second port;
• selectively opening the cleaning port inlet and respective cleaning port;
• again reversing the pumping direction, pumping and pushing cleaning liquid from a cleaning liquid container coupled to the respective cleaning port out the sample water intake line, and washing away befouling material;
• closing the cleaning port inlet and respective cleaning port;
• waiting a predetermined period of time;
• and alternating the steps of collecting samples and washing away befouling material in series in a timed sequence until a prescribed number of samples has been collected.