Since 2011, Campbell Scientific has offered both portable and stationary automatic water samplers for stormwater, wastewater, and other water-quality applications. Our water samplers feature vacuum-pump technology because of the many advantages it offers over peristaltic technology: more precise and repeatable sample volumes, more representative samples, less maintenance, and less chance of residual liquid from a previous sample.
We are introducing the PVS5120 portable sampler that does not use a keypad or display. Instead, these samplers will use our new vacuum sampler controller, the VSC100, to allow a Modbus RTU master, SDI-12 master device, simple pulse input, or Campbell Scientific PakBus datalogger to control the water sampler.
The PVS5120 can be easily set up for long-term sampling using our Device Configuration Utility (DevConfig) software. Via a USB connection between the VSC100 and a PC, a few settings in DevConfig can be changed to configure the water sampler for control by a master device, such as a datalogger. For example, you will be able to use the settings to select the control method, set the number of sampler bottles to be filled, and set the number of samples to be deposited in each bottle. The VSC100 will use these settings to track the progress of the sampling process and provide feedback to the master device to prevent overfilling of the sample bottles.
With the PVS5120, the procedure for first deployment will be more automated. For a typical deployment using a hose 15.24 m (50 ft) or shorter in length, it will no longer be necessary to manually calculate and program the purge time based on the length of the hose. Instead, you will simply push the auto deployment button, and the calculation and programming will be completed.
The PVS5120 composite and discrete water samplers will offer several features:
- Diagnostic feedback will be provided to the master device.
- For discrete sampling, the installation of a distribution arm encoder will enable reporting of the bottle position to the master device, ensuring the sample is deposited in the correct bottle.
- An optional overfill sensor will stop the composite sampler from obtaining additional samples until the overflow condition is eliminated.
- An optional water present sensor will detect the presence of water at the mouth of the sampler intake hose to ensure a sample is available.
For more details and pricing information, contact Campbell Scientific.
