Frequency Domain Analysis for Detecting Pipeline Leaks
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 7
Abstract
This paper introduces leak detection methods that involve the injection of a fluid transient into the pipeline, with the resultant transient trace analyzed in the frequency domain. Two methods of leak detection using the frequency response of the pipeline are proposed. The inverse resonance method involves matching the modeled frequency responses to those observed to determine the leak parameters. The peak-sequencing method determines the region in which the leak is located by comparing the relative sizes between peaks in the frequency response diagram. It was found that a unique pattern was induced on the peaks of the frequency response for each specific location of the leak within the pipeline. The leak location can be determined by matching the observed pattern to patterns generated numerically within a lookup table. The procedure for extracting the linear frequency response diagram, including the optimum measurement position, the effect of unsteady friction, and the way in which the technique can be extended into pipeline networks, are also discussed within the paper.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The material presented in this paper is made possible by the Australian Postgraduate Award, Adelaide Researcher Scholarship (National), and by funding from the Australian Research Council.
References
Antonopoulous-Domis, M. (1980). “Frequency dependence of acoustic resonances on blockage position in a fast reactor subassembly wrapper.” J. Sound Vib., 72(4), 443–450.
Brunone, B. (1999). “Transient test-based technique for leak detection in outfall pipes.” J. Water Resour. Plan. Manage., 125(5), 302–306.
Chaudhry, M. H. (1970). “Resonance in pressurized piping systems.” J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 96(9), 1819–1839.
Chaudhry, M. H. (1987). Applied hydraulic transients, Van Nostrand-Reinhold New York.
Covas, D., and Ramos, H. (1999). “Leakage detection in single pipelines using pressure wave behaviour.” Water Ind. Syst.: Model. Optim. Appl., 1, 287–299.
Dallabetta, M. J. (1996). “Using cross-correlation techniques to determine the impulse response characteristics of linear systems.” MS thesis, Univ. of Idaho, Moscow, Id.
De Salis, M. H. F., and Oldham, D. J. (1999). “Determination of the blockage area function of a finite duct from a single pressure response measurement.” J. Sound Vib., 221(1), 180–186.
De Salis, M. H. F., and Oldham, D. J. (2001). “The development of a rapid single spectrum method for determining the blockage characteristics of a finite length duct.” J. Sound Vib., 243(4) 625–640.
Duan, Q. Y., Gupta, V. K., and Sorooshian, S. (1993). “Shuffled complex evolution approach for effective and efficient global minimization.” J. Optim. Theory Appl., 76(3), 501–521.
Ferrante, M., Brunone, B., and Rossetti, A. G. (2001). “Harmonic analysis of pressure signal during transients for leak detection in pressurized pipes.” Proc., 4th Int. Conf. on Water Pipeline System—Managing Pipeline Assets in an Evolving Market, BHR Group, York, U.K., 28–30.
Fox, J. A. (1989). Transient flow in pipes, open channels and sewers, Ellis Horwood, U.K.
Jönsson, L., and Larson, M. (1992). “Leak detection through hydraulic transient analysis.” Pipeline systems, B. Coulbeck and E. Evans, eds., Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 273–286.
Lee, P. J., Vítkovský, J. P., Lambert, M. F., Simpson, A. R., and Liggett, J. A. (2002). “Leak detection in pipelines using an inverse resonance method.” Proc., 2002 Conf. on Water Resources Planning and Management, ASCE, Reston, Va. (CD ROM).
Lee, P. J., Vítkovský, J. P., Lambert, M. F., Simpson, A. R., and Liggett, J. A. (2003). “Discussion of ‘leak detection in pipes by frequency response method using a step excitation by witness Mpesha’ [M. Hanif Chaudhry, and Sarah L. Gassman, 2002, 40(1), 55–62].” J. Hydraul. Res., 41(2), 221–223.
Li, H. W., Dallabetta, M. J., and Demuth, H. B. (1994). “Measuring the impulse response of Linear systems using an analog correlator.” Proc. IEEE Int. Symposium on Circuits and Systems, IEEE, New York, 5, 65–68.
Liggett, J. A., and Chen, L. C. (1994). “Inverse transient analysis in pipe networks.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 120(8), 934–955.
Liou, C. P. (1998). “Pipeline leak detection by impulse response extraction.” J. Fluids Eng., 120, 833–838.
Lynn, P. (1982). An introduction to the analysis and processing of signals, Macmillan, London.
Muto, T., and Kanei, T. (1980). “Resonance and transient response of pressurized complex pipe systems.” Bull. JSME, 23 (184), 1610–1617.
Nash, G., and Karney, B. (1999). “Efficient inverse transient analysis in series pipe systems.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 125(7), 761–764.
Ogawa, N., Mikoshiba, T., and Minowas, C. (1994). “Hydraulic effects on a large piping system during strong earthquakes.” J. Pressure Vessel Technol., 116, 161–168.
Qunli, W. and Fricke, F. (1989). “Estimation of blockage dimensions in a duct using measured eigenfrequency shifts.” J. Sound Vib., 133(2), 289–301.
Qunli, W., and Fricke, F. (1991). “Determination of blockage locations and cross-sectional area in a duct by eigenfrequency shifts.” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 87(1), 67–75.
Schroeder, M. R. (1967). “Determination of the geometry of the human vocal tract by acoustic measurements.” J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 41(4), 1002–1010.
Vardy, A. E., and Brown, J. M. B. (1995). “Transient, turbulent, smooth pipe friction.” J. Hydraul. Res., 33(4), 435–456.
Vítkovský, J. P., Bergant, A., Simpson, A. R., and Lambert, M. F. (2003). “Steady oscillatory flow solution including unsteady friction.” Int. Conf., Pumps, Electromechanical Devices, and Systems Applied to Urban Water Management, IAHR and IHR, BHR Group, Cranfield, U.K.
Vítkovský, J. P., Simpson, A. R., and Lambert, M. F. (1999). “Leak detection and calibration of water distribution system using transient and genetic algorithms,” Proc., Water Resources Planning and Management Conf., ASCE, Reston, Va., Chap. 5H118.
Vítkovský, J. P., Simpson, A. R., Lambert, M. F., and Wang, X. J. (2001). “An experimental verification of the inverse transient technique.” Proc., 6th Conf., Hydraulics in Civil Engineering, 373–380.
Wang, X. J., Lambert, M. F., Simpson, A. R., Liggett, J. A., and Vítkovský, J. P. (2002). “Leak detection in pipeline systems using the damping of fluid transients.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 128(7), 697–711.
Wylie, E. B., Streeter, V. L., and Suo, L. (1993). Fluid transients in systems, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Zielke, W. (1968). “Frequency-dependent friction in transient pipe flow.” J. Basic Eng., 90, 109–115.
Zielke, W., and Rösl, G. (1971). “Discussion of ‘Resonance in pressurized piping systems’ by M. Chaudhry.” J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 97(7), 1141–1146.
Zielke, W., Wylie, E. B., and Keller, R. B. (1969). “Forced and self-excited oscillations in propellant lines.” J. Basic Eng., 12, 671–677.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 9, 2002
Accepted: Jul 21, 2004
Published online: Jul 1, 2005
Published in print: Jul 2005
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.