Detection of Local Wall Stiffness Drop in Steel-Lined Pressure Tunnels and Shafts of Hydroelectric Power Plants Using Steep Pressure Wave Excitation and Wavelet Decomposition
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 1
Abstract
A new monitoring approach for detecting, locating, and quantifying structurally weak reaches of steel-lined pressure tunnels and shafts is presented. These reaches arise from local deterioration of the backfill concrete and the rock mass surrounding the liner. The change of wave speed generated by the weakening of the radial-liner supports creates reflection boundaries for the incident pressure waves. The monitoring approach is based on the generation of transient pressure with a steep wave front and the analysis of the reflected pressure signals using the fast Fourier transform and wavelet decomposition methods. Laboratory experiments have been carried out to validate the monitoring technique. The multilayer system (steel-concrete-rock) of the pressurized shafts and tunnels is modeled by a one-layer system of the test pipe. This latter was divided into several reaches having different wall stiffnesses. Different longitudinal placements of a steel, aluminum, and PVC pipe reach were tested to validate the identification method of the weak section.
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Acknowledgments
The study is part of the research project HydroNet for the design, manufacture, and operation of pumped-storage plants funded by the Swiss Competence Center Energy and Mobility (CCEM-CH), the Swiss Electrical Research, and the Swiss Office for Energy. The writers wish to acknowledge the financial support of the Lombardi Foundation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 1 • January 2012
Pages: 35 - 45
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Sep 13, 2010
Accepted: Jun 23, 2011
Published online: Jun 25, 2011
Published in print: Jan 1, 2012
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