Abstract
Blockage detection using transient analysis has emerged as a promising technique because it requires measurements at only one location. This study proposes a modified reconstructive method of characteristics (RMOC) technique suitable for detecting multiple partial discrete and extended blockages in elastic and viscoelastic conduits. It is proposed that evaluating the steady-state (SS) head in a pipe can determine the discrete blockage parameters, and the pipe area reconstruction can be employed to estimate the multiple extended blockages. The pipe is discretized into several finite cells, and characteristic equations are derived for the inverse computation of SS flow parameters. The blockage is assumed to be at the interface of the cells. The blockage location and size predictions are more accurate than those using the techniques that use multiple signal cycles, because the short-duration signal (half-wave cycle) is used. The friction factor need not be known a priori in discrete blockage detection, and the need for the assumption of regular geometric blockages is eliminated in extended blockages. Prior knowledge of the number of blockages and the upstream reservoir boundary conditions also is not required. The paper discussed the significance of the inclusion of viscoelasticity in the model. The numerical and experimental validations showed excellent consistency between the actual and estimated fault parameters. The error in the estimation of the size of a discrete blockage from experimental data was less than 5% in all cases except one, which had an error of 8%. A sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the influence of the system parameters on the results.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
All the data, models, and code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The support provided by the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) and funding provided by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India (Project No. RES/DST/CE/P0170/1718/0036) is duly acknowledged.
References
Al-Tofan, M., M. Elkholy, S. Khilqa, J. Caicedo, and M. H. Chaudhry. 2019. “Use of lower harmonics of pressure oscillations for blockage detection in liquid pipelines.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 145 (3): 04018090. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001568.
Al-Tofan, M., M. Elkholy, S. Khilqa, and M. H. Chaudhry. 2020. “Leak detection in liquid pipelines using lower harmonics of pressure oscillations.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. 11 (4): 04020033. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000479.
Brunone, B. 1999. “Transient test-based technique for leak detection in outfall pipes.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 125 (5): 302–306. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(1999)125:5(302).
Brunone, B., and M. Ferrante. 2004. “Pressure waves as a tool for leak detection in closed conduits.” Urban Water J. 1 (2): 145–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062042000271073.
Brunone, B., and L. Morelli. 1999. “Automatic control valve-induced transients in operative pipe system.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 125 (5): 534–542. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1999)125:5(534).
Chaudhry, M. H. 2014. Applied hydraulic transients. New York: Springer.
Che, T. C., H. F. Duan, P. J. Lee, B. Pan, and M. S. Ghidaoui. 2018. “Transient frequency responses for pressurized water pipelines containing blockages with linearly varying diameters.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 144 (8): 04018054. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001499.
Covas, D. 2003. “Inverse transient analysis for leak detection and calibration of water pipe systems—Modelling special dynamic effects.” Ph.D. thesis, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, Univ. of London.
Duan, H. F. 2016. “Sensitivity analysis of a transient-based frequency domain method for extended blockage detection in water pipeline systems.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 142 (4): 04015073. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000625.
Duan, H. F., P. J. Lee, M. S. Ghidaoui, and Y. K. Tung. 2012. “Extended blockage detection in pipelines by using the system frequency response analysis.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 138 (1): 55–62. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000145.
Gong, J., M. F. Lambert, S. T. Nguyen, A. C. Zecchin, and A. R. Simpson. 2018. “Detecting thinner-walled pipe sections using a spark transient pressure wave generator.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 144 (2): 06017027. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001409.
Gong, J., M. F. Lambert, A. R. Simpson, and A. C. Zecchin. 2014. “Detection of localized deterioration distributed along single pipelines by reconstructive MOC analysis.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 140 (2): 190–198. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000806.
Haghighi, A., D. Covas, and H. Ramos. 2012. “Direct backward transient analysis for leak detection in pressurized pipelines: From theory to real application.” J. Water Supply Res. Technol. 61 (3): 189–200. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2012.032.
Kumar, P., and P. K. Mohapatra. 2021. “Simple graphical method for detection of a partial blockage or leak in a single pipeline.” J. Pressure Vessel Technol. 143 (5): 054501. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050217.
Louati, M., and M. S. Ghidaoui. 2018. “Eigenfrequency shift mechanism due to an interior blockage in a pipe.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 144 (1): 04017055. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001380.
Massari, C., T. C. J. Yeh, M. Ferrante, B. Brunone, and S. Meniconi. 2015. “Detection and sizing of extended partial blockages in pipelines by means of a stochastic successive linear estimator.” J. Hydroinf. 16 (2): 248–258. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2013.172.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, and M. Ferrante. 2012. “Water hammer pressure waves at cross-section changes in series in viscoelastic pipes.” J. Fluids Struct. 33 (1): 44–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2012.05.007.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, M. Ferrante, and C. Capponi. 2016. “Mechanism of interaction of pressure waves at a discrete partial blockage.” J. Fluids Struct. 62 (Apr): 33–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2015.12.010.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, M. Ferrante, and C. Massari. 2010. “Potential of transient tests to diagnose real supply pipe systems: What can be done with a single extemporary test.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 137 (2): 238–241. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0000098.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, M. Ferrante, and C. Massari. 2011a. “Fast transients as a tool for partial blockage detection in pipes: First experimental results.” In Proc., 12th Annual Conf. on Water Distribution Systems Analysis, 144–153. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, M. Ferrante, and C. Massari. 2011b. “Small amplitude sharp pressure waves to diagnose pipe systems.” Water Resour. Manage. 25 (1): 79–96. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-010-9688-7.
Mohapatra, P. K., and M. H. Chaudhry. 2011. “Frequency responses of single and multiple partial pipeline blockages.” J. Hydraul. Res. 49 (2): 263–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2010.544887.
Mohapatra, P. K., M. H. Chaudhry, A. Kassem, and J. Moloo. 2006a. “Detection of partial blockages in a branched piping system by the frequency response method.” J. Fluids Eng. 128 (5): 1106–1114. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2238880.
Mohapatra, P. K., M. H. Chaudhry, A. A. Kassem, and J. Moloo. 2006b. “Detection of partial blockage in single pipelines.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 132 (2): 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2006)132:2(200).
Roberson, J. A., and C. T. Crowe. 1985. Engineering fluid mechanics. 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Sattar, A. M., M. H. Chaudhry, and A. A. Kassem. 2008. “Partial blockage detection in pipelines by frequency response method.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 134 (1): 76–89. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2008)134:1(76).
Shamloo, H., and A. Haghighi. 2009. “Leak detection in pipelines by inverse backward transient analysis.” J. Hydraul. Res. 47 (3): 311–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221686.2009.9522002.
Tung, Y. K., B. C. Yen, and C. S. Melching. 2006. Hydrosystems engineering reliability assessment and risk analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Wang, X. 2002. “Leakage and blockage detection in pipelines and pipe network systems using fluid transients.” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Adelaide.
Wylie, E. B., and V. L. Streeter. 1993. Fluid transients in systems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Yan, X. F., H. F. Duan, X. K. Wang, M. L. Wang, and P. J. Lee. 2021. “Investigation of transient wave behavior in water pipelines with blockages.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 147 (2): 04020095. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001841.
Zhang, C., J. Gong, A. R. Simpson, A. C. Zecchin, and M. F. Lambert. 2019. “Impedance estimation along pipelines by generalized reconstructive method of characteristics for pipeline condition assessment.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 145 (4): 04019010. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001580.
Zhang, C., J. Gong, A. Zecchin, M. Lambert, and A. Simpson. 2018. “Faster inverse transient analysis with a head-based method of characteristics and a flexible computational grid for pipeline condition assessment.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 144 (4): 04018007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001438.
Zouari, F., E. Blåsten, M. Louati, and M. S. Ghidaoui. 2019. “Internal pipe area reconstruction as a tool for blockage detection.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 145 (6): 04019019. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001602.
Zouari, F., M. Louati, S. Meniconi, E. Blåsten, M. S. Ghidaoui, and B. Brunone. 2020. “Experimental verification of the accuracy and robustness of area reconstruction method for pressurized water pipe system.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 146 (3): 04020004. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001674.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 148 • Issue 4 • April 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 28, 2021
Accepted: Nov 19, 2021
Published online: Jan 27, 2022
Published in print: Apr 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Jun 27, 2022
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
Cited by
- Reza Moasheri, Mohammadreza Jalili Ghazizadeh, Localization and Quantification of Blockages in Water Distribution Networks Using a Mathematical Model, Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 10.1061/JWRMD5.WRENG-6324, 150, 5, (2024).
- Kai Wu, Yujie Feng, Ying Xu, Research on Method for Detecting Pipeline Blockages Based on Fluid Oscillation Theory, Energies, 10.3390/en15155373, 15, 15, (5373), (2022).