Wells – Processes – Sampling well fluid
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-29
2004-02-24
Schoeppel, Roger (Department: 3672)
Wells
Processes
Sampling well fluid
C166S108000, C166S162000, C166S168000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06695053
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of fluid sampling, and, in particular, to an apparatus for discharging fluid from a bailer and method of using thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Modern industries produce contaminants which are often released onto land. The contaminants migrate downward into the subsurface creating potential health risks. Subsequently, contaminant remediation plans are implemented to remove ground water contamination.
Designing a remediation plan typically requires collecting fluid samples to determine the extent of subsurface contamination. The term fluid as used herein refers to both gas and liquid. Fluid samples are analyzed to determine contaminant concentration, organic chemistry in the case of soil gas, and both organic and inorganic chemistry in the case of liquid.
During many environmental investigations, groundwater is collected from groundwater monitoring wells for laboratory analysis of waters, existing at subsurface levels. Groundwater collection is currently accomplished by use of a bailer, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,569 by Heller. The '569 patent discloses a sampling device having a fluid collecting portion adapted to recover a fluid sample from a subsurface. Fluid entering the fluid collecting portion passes through a valve which may be remotely actuated. After the sampling device has been driven into the subsurface and a fluid sample has been collected in the fluid collecting portion, the valve is closed to prevent cross-contamination of the fluid sample in the fluid collecting portion.
Although the '569 apparatus has improved upon the bailer device used to collect fluid samples in that it minimizes cross-contamination of the fluid sample in the fluid collecting portion, the '569 apparatus still has many drawbacks. First, in order to accomplish groundwater collections, a field technician collects water from a monitoring well by submerging the bailer into the monitoring well bore down to the water table. The technician holds onto the bailer by gripping a rope or string. The bailer is designed to collect water when submerged and thereafter hold the water when raised by the technician through a ball-joint type apparatus in the bailer. The technician proceeds with multiple rounds of water collection to purge a monitoring well pursuant to required evacuation volumes (“purging”). Thereafter, the technician collects water samples in the bailer for laboratory analysis (“sampling”).
However, when the technician raises the bailer above the surface, the technician must carefully position the bailer top to an opening in a bucket-type or drum-like receptacle and pour the liquid collected in the bailer into the bucket or drum. These bucket and drum openings are typically screw top openings and small in diameter. As a result, the technician must be extremely careful not to spill any of the collected groundwater. Additionally, the technician must be careful not to cause any potential cross-contamination of the collected water with any other material, which may result from the string, rope, or bailer touching any surface. Errors during this process could destroy the integrity of the groundwater sample.
Second, this process of groundwater collection is associated with repetitive bending and excessive motion, which can cause back and other ergonomic injuries to technicians. A technician, on any given day in the field, may repeat the process of sampling and emptying a bailer for hours. The technician must necessarily undertake many cumbersome and repetitive motions including, for example, bending at the waist to position the bailer correctly. The technician will have to repeatedly turn and twist and engage in varying body motions to accomplish the task. The repetitive and related body motions over time lead to fatigue, error, and inefficiency.
Thirdly, because of the requirement that the technician pour the sample from the bailer into a collection bucket, the length of the bailor is limited. Modifying the '569 patent to contain a longer bailer would not be possible because the pouring would be impermissible if the bailer were longer. If the '569 bailer were longer, the technician would run a greater risk of spilling groundwater by over-pouring because the technician would be required to turn the bailer toward the bucket opening while facing greater distances from the bucket, faster discharge velocities, and increased overall awkwardness of the required body motions. Therefore, as a result of the limited length of the bailer, the '569 apparatus increases the total purging time by increasing the number of purging events.
Finally, the current apparatus and procedure results in water leaking from the bottom of the bailer. This occurs because the bailer must be turned upside down to pour the contents of the bailer into the bucket or drum. As the technician turns the bailer upside down, the ball-joint rolls forward. This produces leakage. In addition to the mess and loss of sample, this leaking also increases the total purging time by increasing the number of purging events, and as a result, reduces the efficiency of groundwater collection projects.
Therefore, what is needed is a device that would aid in discharging a bailer apparatus that eliminates the back and other ergonomic injuries to technicians that they would otherwise experience from the excessive and repetitive motions, that increases efficiency, reduces time per sampling or purging events, eliminates principal causes of potential cross contamination, eliminates repositioning of hands in maneuvering the rope holding the bailer, and overall cuts down on fatigue and error.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bailer discharging device includes a body with an interior and an exterior, and a top opening and a bottom opening, where the top opening has a lip disposed around the top opening. The apparatus also has a bailer-support disposed across the diameter of the bottom opening, with the bailer-support having a center and a pin perpendicularly attached to the center, and the pin vertically extending in the interior, towards the top opening.
The method of collecting a fluid sample from a bailer with a ball-joint includes the first step of providing a bailer discharge device followed by a second step of inserting the bailer discharge device into an opening of a bucket used for collecting said fluid sample. The third step consists of placing the bottom of the bailer holding the fluid sample into the bailer discharge device to a resting position, whereby the bailer mates with the pin. The fourth step is releasing the ball joint, followed by the final step of collecting the fluid sample from the bailer in the bucket.
Therefore, it is an aspect of this invention to provide a bailer discharging device and a method of using thereof that aids in eliminating the back and other ergonomic injuries to technicians that they would otherwise experience from the excessive and repetitive motions associated with fluid sampling.
It is another aspect of the present invention to increase the efficiency of fluid sampling.
It is a further aspect of the present invention to reduces the time per sampling or purging event associated with fluid sampling.
It is another aspect of the present invention to eliminate the principal causes of potential cross contamination associated with fluid sampling.
It is another aspect of the present invention to eliminate repositioning of hands in maneuvering the rope holding the bailer when performing fluid sampling.
It is another aspect of the present invention to cut down on the overall fatigue and error associated with performing fluid sampling.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2214350 (1940-09-01), Santiago
patent: 2217147 (1940-10-01), Vesely
patent: 2220989 (1940-11-01), Brauer
patent: 4491178 (1985-01-01), Terrell et al.
patent: 4823623 (1989-04-01), Carpenter et al.
patent: 5878813 (1999-03-01), Ridgeway
patent: 6276220 (2001-08-01), Varhol
ESP Environmental Service Products, Inc.
Ritchie William B.
Schoeppel Roger
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