Abstract: A novel apparatus for a method of subsurface sampling which includes a sampling probe having a sample inlet in fluid communication with a sample outlet connected to a tube through which a subsurface medium can be conducted from a desired subsurface point below the earth's surface to a second point thereabove, one of a number of impact sleeves covers the sample inlet, while the sample inlet is covered by the lowermost of the impact sleeves, the probe is driven to a desired subsurface point and during the latter or when the subsurface point is reached, the sample inlet is uncovered thereby creating an uncontaminated flow path for a liquid or vapor sample medium at the desired subsurface point which can be transferred above surface for monitoring/analyzing. The sample inlets can be selectively uncovered during vertical descent for progressive sensing/analyzing, or alternatively the sample inlets can be themselves surrounded by a slotted impact sleeve to achieve vertical sampling without impact sleeve retraction.

Abstract: A pneumatically inflated packer assembly includes spaced upper and lower inflatable sleeves which expand radially to anchor the assembly at a desired depth within a well screen. A porous, elastic bag exteriorly covers these sleeves so that the expanded sleeves stretch and tension the bag such that its intermediate portion between the sleeves tends to expand into cylindrical form so that it lies closely adjacent or against the interior surface of the well screen. In this way, a supply of porous material such as sand housed in an open space above the lower sleeve and below the upper sleeve is free to flow or migrate radially outwardly to substantially completely fill the cross section of the well screen. Groundwater flow into the well is now constrained to flow horizontally through the sand so that its direction and flow rate may be measured by a probe penetrating into the sand.

Abstract: Flow characteristics of a fluid through a permeable solid medium are determined by introducing a predetermined quantity of thermal energy at a highly localized point within the medium and subsequently mapping temperatures around such point to determine the direction and rate of fluid flow through the medium.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to a method of and apparatus for determining the corrosion rate of metal by liquid flowing in a metallic pipe system by continuously bleeding off upstream and downstream liquid portions from a metallic pipe at predetermined rates for predetermined time periods and filtering therefrom both heavy metals and particulate metals, determining the rate of solution corrosion and cavitation-erosion of the metal from the amount of heavy metals and particulate metals, respectively, filtered from the upstream and downstream bled-off liquid portions, and integrating the difference between the upstream and downsteam determinations to obtain the corrosion rate of the metallic pipe system.