Charles T Hopkins

US Patent:

55690211, Oct 29, 1996

Filed:

Jan 17, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/373433

Inventors:

Charles D. Hopkins - Augusta GA
Ronald R. Livingston - Aiken SC
William R. Toole - Aiken SC

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy - Washington DC

International Classification:

F04B 2100

US Classification:

417 63

Abstract:

A hydraulically operated pump for in-ground filtering and monitoring of ws or other fluid sources, including a hollow cylindrical pump housing with an inlet and an outlet, filtering devices positioned in the inlet and the outlet, a piston that fits slidably within the pump housing, and an optical cell in fluid communication with the pump housing. A conduit within the piston allows fluid communication between the exterior and one end of the piston. A pair of o-rings form a seal between the inside of the pump housing and the exterior of the piston. A flow valve positioned within the piston inside the conduit allows fluid to flow in a single direction. In operation, fluid enters the pump housing through the inlet, flows through the conduit and towards an end of the pump housing. The piston then makes a downward stroke closing the valve, thus forcing the fluid out from the pump housing into the optical cell, which then takes spectrophotometric measurements of the fluid. A spring helps return the piston back to its starting position, so that a new supply of fluid may enter the pump housing and the downward stroke can begin again.