Experimental Investigation of Coupled Frequency and Time-Domain Transient Test–Based Techniques for Partial Blockage Detection in Pipelines
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 10
Abstract
Partial blockages commonly exist in pressurized pipeline systems, and the rapid remediation of such faults is required to reduce the wastage of energy as well as to maintain the serviceability of the pipe network. Numerous transient test–based techniques (TTBT) have been developed for detecting pipe defects, with each technique providing different advantages. Two previously developed techniques—pressure signal analysis (PSA) and frequency response analysis (FRA)—are experimentally tested in this study on systems of different pipe material and characteristics. Each method is validated using the experimental data, and the results show that PSA is most accurate for locating the blockage while FRA is most accurate for determining the radial constriction and length of the blockage section. To take advantage of the different strengths of the techniques, a coupling of the two methods is proposed. Experimental application results reveal that both detection accuracy and calculation efficiency are improved when the coupled method is used instead of the original techniques applied individually. Moreover, the results indicate that current TTBTs for partial blockage detection are more reliable in elastic (metallic) pipelines compared to viscoelastic (plastic) pipes.
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Acknowledgments
The research has been supported by Fondazione Cassa Risparmio Perugia, Italy, under the Project “Leaks and Blockages Detection Techniques for Reducing Energy and Natural Resources Wastage,” the Research Grant Council (RGC) of Hong Kong under Projects Number 612511 and Number 612910, and the Marsden Grant Project UOC-M1153 from the Royal Society of New Zealand.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 10 • October 2013
Pages: 1033 - 1040
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 3, 2012
Accepted: Apr 22, 2013
Published online: Apr 23, 2013
Discussion open until: Sep 23, 2013
Published in print: Oct 1, 2013
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