Groundwater Sampling Pump

Abstract

A sampling pump is disclosed for pumping liquids collecting in a wellbore. The sampling pump has a pump component having an inlet and an outlet, a pump element and DC motor for driving the pump element. A reel assembly having a reel and a frame supports a cable assembly wound on the reel. The cable assembly supplies power to the DC motor. A DC connector supported on the frame enables an external DC power source to power the DC motor. A fluid level sensor on the housing detects when the outer housing is positioned in fluid. A control panel on the frame is in electrical communication with the fluid sensor and configured to enable a user to control on and off operation of the DC motor.

1 .- 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A sampling pump configured for use in a wellbore for pumping liquids collecting in the wellbore, the sampling pump comprising:
 a pump component having an outer housing configured to be inserted into the well bore, the outer housing having an inlet and an outlet;   a regenerative pump element housed in the outer housing;   a direct current (DC) motor housed within the outer housing for driving the pump element, the pump element being in communication with the inlet and the outlet, and configured to draw liquids out from the wellbore into the outer housing and to the outlet when driven rotationally by the DC motor;   a fluid level sensor operably associated with the pump component and the detecting when the outer housing is positioned in fluid;   a flexible electrical cable assembly for supplying DC power to the regenerative pump element and also being operably associated with the fluid sensor; and   a user control panel in communication with the flexible electrical cable and configured to enable a user to control on and off operation of the DC motor from the control panel, and to provide the user with information from the fluid level sensor to enable the user to be apprised when the pump component is located in fluid in the wellbore.   
     
     
         24 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , further comprising a reel mounted for rotation on a frame, the reel enabling the electrical cable to be unwound therefrom as the pump component is lowered down into the wellbore, and wound thereon as the pump component is withdrawn from the wellbore. 
     
     
         25 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , wherein the control panel further includes a connector for connecting an external DC power source to the control panel to power the regenerative pump element and the fluid sensor. 
     
     
         26 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , wherein the pump element comprises an impeller. 
     
     
         27 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , wherein the flexible cable assembly includes markings thereon indicate a length unit of measurement. 
     
     
         28 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , wherein the DC motor comprises a brushless DC motor. 
     
     
         29 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a DC battery carried on the frame and electrically coupled to the fluid sensor for powering the fluid sensor;   a first switch associated with the control panel for turning on and off DC power to the fluid sensor; and   an indicator in communication with the fluid sensor for indicating when the outer housing is present in the fluid in the wellbore.   
     
     
         30 . The sampling pump of  claim 29 , further comprising a second switch on the control panel for enabling a user to power on and off the DC motor. 
     
     
         31 . The sampling pump of  claim 29 , wherein the indicator comprises an optical device that provides an optical signal to indicate to a user when the fluid sensor has been submerged in fluid. 
     
     
         32 . The sampling pump of  claim 31 , wherein the optical device flashes intermittently before contacting fluid, and then remains in a continuously illuminated state while submerged in fluid. 
     
     
         33 . The sampling pump of  claim 24 , wherein the frame includes a structure for receiving the pump component and storing the pump component when the pump component is not in use. 
     
     
         34 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , further comprising a user adjustable speed control operably associated with the control panel for enabling a user to adjust a speed of the DC motor, and thus a flow rate produced by the regenerative pump element. 
     
     
         35 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , wherein the DC motor is controlled so as to be automatically turned off when the fluid sensor detects that it is no longer submerged in fluid. 
     
     
         36 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , wherein the control panel is configured to log a total run time that the regenerative pump element is running and to display the total run time to a user. 
     
     
         37 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , further comprising a microcontroller for controlling operation of the sampling pump. 
     
     
         38 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , further comprising a short range wireless transceiver for enabling the control panel to communicate wirelessly with a remote personal electronic device of a user. 
     
     
         39 . The sampling pump of  claim 23 , further comprising a tube adapted to be secured to the outlet of the pump component for channeling fluid pumped by the pump component out from the wellbore. 
     
     
         40 . A sampling pump configured for use in a wellbore for pumping liquids collecting in the wellbore, the sampling pump comprising:
 a pump component having an outer housing configured to be inserted into the well bore;   an inlet and an outlet each being operably associated with the outer housing at opposite ends of the outer housing;   a regenerative pump element housed in the outer housing;   a direct current (DC) motor housed within the outer housing for driving the regenerative pump element, the regenerative pump element being in communication with the inlet and the outlet, and configured to pump liquids out from the wellbore into the outer housing and to the outlet when driven rotationally by the DC motor;   a flexible electrical cable assembly in communication with the outlet for supplying DC power from a DC battery to the regenerative pump component when the pump component is positioned in the wellbore;   a user engageable switch for selectively applying and turning off power from an external battery operatively coupled with the pump component, to thus enable the regenerative pump element to be turned on and off by the user; and   a microcontroller operably associated with the switch and the DC motor to help control on and off operation of the DC motor in response to user control of the switch.   
     
     
         41 . The sampling pump of  claim 40 , further comprising:
 a reel for supporting the electrical cable assembly;   a frame for supporting the reel for rotational movement; and   a control panel coupled to the electrical cable assembly, the control panel including the switch and the microcontroller.   
     
     
         42 . The sampling pump of  claim 40 , further comprising a fluid sensor operably associated with the electrical cable assembly and housed on the pump component for sensing when the pump component is located in fluid in the wellbore. 
     
     
         43 . The sampling pump of  claim 40 , further including a first housing connector disposed at a first end of the outer housing and enabling the inlet to be removably coupled to the outer housing via at least one of an L-shaped slot or a J-shaped slot, formed on the first housing connector and a bayonet pin projecting from the inlet. 
     
     
         44 . The sampling pump of  claim 43 , wherein:
 the housing includes the J-shaped slot, and the J-shaped slot provides a positive, tactile, clicking-like engagement to indicate to the user that the bayonet pin is positively engaged within the J-shaped slot; and   further comprising a second housing connector disposed at a second end of the outer housing and enabling the outlet to be removably coupled to the outer housing via an L-shaped slot formed on the second housing connector and a bayonet pin projecting from the outlet.   
     
     
         45 . The sampling pump of  claim 40 , further comprising at least one of:
 an additional switch operably associated with the control panel for enabling a user to control operation of the DC motor; or   a user adjustable speed control operably associated with the DC motor for enabling a user to adjust a speed of the DC motor, and thus a flow rate produced by the pump element.   
     
     
         46 . A sampling pump assembly including:
 a pump outer housing having an inlet end cap with multiple water inlet ports, the inlet end cap connected to the pump outer housing using bayonet pins extending through at least one of a pair of either L-shaped slots in a first housing connector, or a pair of J-shaped slots in the first housing connector;   an outlet end cap connected to the pump outer housing using bayonet pins and having a tubing connector for releasably connecting an effluent tube thereto;   a pump assembly having a regenerative impeller connected to a brushless DC motor, the brushless DC motor positioned within the pump outer housing and the regenerative impeller positioned within the inlet end cap;   a fluid sensor extending beyond the outlet end cap providing a sensing signal when the pump assembly is submerged below a fluid surface in a wellbore in which the pump outer housing is positioned;   a flexible electrical cable operably associated with the pump assembly and the fluid sensor; and   a control panel operably associated with the flexible electrical cable, the control panel including:
 an optical element configured to provide a first signal when the pump assembly is being lowered down a wellbore but has not yet been positioned in fluid, and a second signal when the pump assembly contacts fluid; 
 a user engageable switch for controlling on and off operation of the DC motor; and 
 a DC connector for enabling a removable connection to a DC battery.