Groundwater sampling pump

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sampling pump configured for use in a wellbore for pumping liquid collecting in the wellbore. The sampling pump has a pump component including a motor and an outer housing configured to be inserted into the well bore. The outer housing has an inlet and an outlet. A fluid sensor detects when the inlet of the outer housing is positioned in the liquid in the wellbore. A flexible electrical cable assembly supplies power to the motor and the fluid sensor, and also communicates with the motor and the fluid sensor. A user control panel communicates with the flexible electrical cable and enables a user to control on and off operation of the DC motor from the control panel. The user control panel also has a component which is responsive to signals from the fluid sensor to indicate when the inlet is at least partially submerged in the liquid within the wellbore, as the pump is lowered into the wellbore.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sampling pump configured for use in a wellbore for pumping liquid collecting in the wellbore, the sampling pump comprising:
 a pump component including:
 a motor; 
 an outer housing configured to be inserted into the well bore; 
 the outer housing having an inlet and an outlet; 
 a fluid sensor configured to detect when the inlet of the outer housing is positioned in the liquid in the wellbore; 
   a flexible electrical cable assembly for supplying power to the motor and the fluid sensor, and also for communicating with the motor and the fluid sensor;   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   the user control panel further including a component responsive to signals from the fluid sensor to indicate when the inlet is at least partially submerged in the liquid within the wellbore, as the pump is lowered into the wellbore.   
     
     
         2 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , wherein the component provides:
 a first indication when the inlet of the outer housing the pump component is positioned in air; and   a second indication when the inlet of the outer housing of the pump component is submerged in the liquid in the wellbore.   
     
     
         3 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second indications comprise visual indications. 
     
     
         4 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second visual indications comprises a blinking visual indication, and the other one of the first and second visual indications comprises a continuous visual indication. 
     
     
         5 . The sampling pump of  claim 3 , wherein the component comprises an optical component, and wherein the optical component is configured to flash intermittently before contacting fluid, and then to remain in a continuously illuminated state while the inlet of the outer housing of the pump component is submerged in the liquid. 
     
     
         6 . The sampling pump of  claim 4 , wherein the component comprises an LED. 
     
     
         7 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a frame for supporting the electrical cable assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The sampling pump of  claim 7 , further comprising a reel mounted for rotation on the frame, the reel enabling the electrical cable assembly 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. 
     
     
         9 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , wherein the control panel further includes a connector for connecting an external DC power source to the control panel to power the pump component and the fluid sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible electrical cable assembly includes markings thereon to indicate a length unit of measurement. 
     
     
         11 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises a brushless DC motor. 
     
     
         12 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a DC battery carried on the frame and electrically coupled to the fluid sensor for powering the fluid sensor; and   a first switch associated with the control panel for turning on and off DC power to the fluid sensor.   
     
     
         13 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a second switch on the control panel for enabling a user to power on and off the motor. 
     
     
         14 . The sampling pump of  claim 1 , 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. 
     
     
         15 . The sampling pump of  claim 14 , wherein the optical device flashes intermittently before contacting fluid, and then remains in a continuously illuminated state while submerged in fluid. 
     
     
         16 . A sampling pump configured for use in a wellbore for pumping liquid collecting in the wellbore, the sampling pump comprising:
 a frame;   a pump component including:
 a motor; 
 an outer housing configured to be inserted into the well bore; 
 the outer housing having an inlet and an outlet; 
 a fluid sensor configured to detect when the outer housing is positioned in fluid in the wellbore; 
   a flexible electrical cable assembly coupled at one end to the pump component for supplying power to the motor and the fluid sensor of the pump component, and also for communicating with the motor and the fluid sensor, the flexible electrical cable and the pump component;   a reel supported from the frame for rotational movement;   the reel operable to support the flexible electrical cable assembly thereon;   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 user control panel; and   the user control panel further including:
 a component responsive to signals from the fluid sensor to indicate when the pump is at least partially submerged in the liquid within the wellbore, as the pump is lowered into the wellbore; and 
 a speed control component for controlling a speed of the motor, and thus a liquid flow rate produced by the pump component. 
   
     
     
         17 . The sampling pump of  claim 16 , wherein the user control panel is centrally mounted on the reel. 
     
     
         18 . The sampling pump of  claim 16 , wherein the frame includes a structure for receiving the pump component and storing the pump component when the pump component is not in use. 
     
     
         19 . A sampling pump configured for use in a wellbore for pumping liquid collecting in the wellbore, the sampling pump comprising:
 a frame;   a pump component including:
 a motor; 
 an outer housing configured to be inserted into the well bore; 
 the outer housing having an inlet and an outlet; 
 a fluid sensor configured to detect when the outer housing is positioned in fluid in the wellbore; 
   a flexible electrical cable assembly coupled at one end to the pump component for supplying power to the motor and the fluid sensor of the pump component, and also for communicating with the motor and the fluid sensor, the flexible electrical cable and the pump component;   a reel supported from the frame for rotational movement;   the reel operable to support the flexible electrical cable assembly thereon;   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 user control panel, the user control panel being centrally located within the reel; and   the user control panel further including:
 a component responsive to signals from the fluid sensor to provide a first visual indication when the lower end of the housing of the pump component is located in air within the wellbore, and a second visual indication when the lower end of the housing becomes at least partially submerged in the liquid within the wellbore during lowering of the pump component into the wellbore; 
 a speed control component for controlling a speed of the motor, and thus a liquid flow rate produced by the pump component; and 
 the user control panel controlling the motor during operation of the sampling pump so that the motor is automatically turned off when the fluid sensor detects that it is no longer submerged in fluid. 
   
     
     
         20 . The sampling pump of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the control panel includes a microcontroller for controlling operation of the motor;   the control panel is configured to log a total run time that the pump component is running and to display the total run time to a user; and   the control panel includes a short range wireless transceiver for enabling the control panel to communicate wirelessly with a remote personal electronic device of a user.