Need to install a valved pipe as shown in the sketch to allow me to take samples of the water. So the real problem is "How do I collecta 500ml sample from the water and deliver it to an operative at the bottom of the tower without flooding the area flushing the pipework, having to install drains, the operative getting soaked, etc and how do I ensure that the operative really will flush the lines instead of grabbing the first 500ml he can get which, if this is a week in the sun between samples, is probably a zoo, a primordal soup. I attach my automated sample collection solution as per the attached diagram. All you need are three suitable solenoid valves, a colection fo relays, some time delay energise and some time delay off, a key operated start button and a few sundries. At the start all the valves are closed and the pipework between the butterfly valves is full of air. On start SV1 opens allowing air to escape via the top valve. A limit switch initiates a time delay off relay which opens SV2. This valve now admits an amount of water into the vertical pipe which, closed at the bottom, causes the water to enter the vertical rising section above. It will not go above the water level in the tank but the timer will close after a suitable interval anyway such that only sufficient water enters to deliver a good sample at the bottom. SV2 closes and initiates a time delay on relay. While this is timing out the water in the pipe flows down to the bottom with the trapped air rising through it. After a suitable interval the water will have collected at the bottom of the pipe. The timer expires and SV3 opens. If the operative is awake he will collect 500ml of it. A second timer will hold the valve latched open to allow the pipe to fully drain and then close. SV1 now also closes. The operative may, if so instructed use the initial sequence to flush the pipe and collect his sample from the second sequence. Power can be frrom wind turbines, solar panels etc. I'd suggest 1/2" 3/4" is adequate since we now don't care what the flow rate is only that we colelct a good sample and deliver it safely to the operative. Because the water is collected at the bottom of the pipe before the valve opens we only have the head of water in the pipe to worry aboiut so no massive flow velocities or soaked eemployees. Employee now does not have time to goof off because there is no time allowed for climbing ladders and admiring the view. Plus, suitable systems can be added in to log the opertaives visits, ideentity and that he did what he was supposed to do.

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