Leak Detection in Pipelines using the Damping of Fluid Transients
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 128, Issue 7
Abstract
Leaks in pipelines contribute to damping of transient events. That fact leads to a method of finding location and magnitude of leaks. Because the problem of transient flow in pipes is nearly linear, the solution of the governing equations can be expressed in terms of a Fourier series. All Fourier components are damped uniformly by steady pipe friction, but each component is damped differently in the presence of a leak. Thus, overall leak-induced damping can be divided into two parts. The magnitude of the damping indicates the size of a leak, whereas different damping ratios of the various Fourier components are used to find the location of a leak. This method does not require rigorous determination and modeling of boundary conditions and transient behavior in the pipeline. The technique is successful in detecting, locating, and quantifying a 0.1% size leak with respect to the cross-sectional area of a pipeline.
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Copyright © 2002 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 12, 2001
Accepted: Feb 13, 2002
Published online: Jun 14, 2002
Published in print: Jul 2002
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