Abstract: An automatic sampling apparatus for taking liquid samples for the qualitative or quantitative determination of at least one analyte contained in the sample liquid includes a sample line that can be fluidically connected to the sampling station, a pump device, at least one sample container that can be fluidically connected to the sample line, and an electronic control system. The electronic control system is configured to fluidically connect the sample line to the sample container such that a fluid flow path extending from the sampling station through the sample line into the sample container is formed. The electronic control system is further configured to transport, using the pump device, a definable volume of the sample liquid, in the form of a liquid sample, along the fluid flow path into the sample container. The sampling apparatus is configured for concentrating or extracting the analyte present in the liquid sample.

Abstract: Summary: The invention concerns a pipe network (10), with a hierarchical structure, for supplying water or gas and/or removing industrial water where the flowmeters (54-82) provided in the individual pipes are standalone units that are connected to a master flowmeter (52) in a master-slave network. The flowmeters (54-82) have their own, autarkic power supply system. By totaling the measured flow values in the lower-order pipes in the hierarchy and comparing the result with a measured flow value in the related pipe on the next highest level, a leak can be detected in one of the lower-order pipes. In addition, the invention also concerns a process for detecting a leak in such a pipe network (10) and a process for determining—with the aid of a computer—the operating life theoretically remaining for a renewable power source for at least one flowmeter in such a pipe network.