Diagnosis of Water Distribution Systems through Transient Tests: The Pilot Study of Milan
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 148, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a pilot study funded by Metropolitana Milanese to investigate the use of transient tests for the diagnosis of the water distribution network of Milan (Italy). The peculiar aspects of the application of transient-based techniques to a complex system in an urban environment are discussed. Synchronous pressure signals acquired at 2,048 and 1,000 Hz at different measurement sections are shown and analyzed by auto- and cross-correlation, and wavelet transform. The effects of the shape of the pressure wave introduced in the system by the manoeuvre of a valve and the effects of repetition of the same manoeuvre on the reliability of the results are discussed. The main practical lessons learned about the use of hydrants, the topological and effective distances of measurement sections, the need for the introduction of pressure waves of given shapes, the information carried by the pressure signals for the diagnosis, and the use of simplified wavelet analysis are also presented and discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Some data, i.e., the shown pressure signals, that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by Metropolitana Milanese società per azioni under the research project “Application of innovative techniques to the condition assessment and diagnosis of water distribution system.” The GPS devices used for data synchronization were developed by Enrico Guadagni. The authors gratefully acknowledge the enthusiastic help of Chiara Adriani, Daniele Belli, Rocco Giannotta, Elisa Morbidelli, and Fabrizio Provvisiero for the field tests.
References
Alawadhi, A., and D. M. Tartakovsky. 2020. “Bayesian update and method of distributions: Application to leak detection in transmission mains.” Water Resour. Res. 56 (2): e2019WR025879. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019WR025879.
Bendat, J. S., and A. G. Piersol. 1980. Engineering applications of correlation and spectral analysis. New York: Wiley.
Bohorquez, J., B. Alexander, A. R. Simpson, and M. F. Lambert. 2020. “Leak detection and topology identification in pipelines using fluid transients and artificial neural networks.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 146 (6): 04020040. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001187.
Capponi, C., M. Ferrante, A. C. Zecchin, and J. Gong. 2017. “Leak detection in a branched system by inverse transient analysis with the admittance matrix method.” Water Resour. Manage. 31 (13): 4075–4089. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-017-1730-6.
Chaudhry, M. H. 2014. Applied hydraulic transients. 3rd ed. New York: Springer.
Cheng, W., Y. Chen, and G. Xu. 2020. “Optimizing sensor placement and quantity for pipe burst detection in a water distribution network.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 146 (11): 04020088. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001298.
Colombo, A. F., P. Lee, and B. W. Karney. 2009. “A selective literature review of transient-based leak detection methods.” J. Hydro-environ. Res. 2 (4): 212–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jher.2009.02.003.
Covas, D., and H. Ramos. 2010. “Case studies of leak detection and location in water pipe systems by inverse transient analysis.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 136 (2): 248–257. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9496(2010)136:2(248).
Covas, D. I. C., H. Ramos, B. Brunone, A. Young, and S. Murray. 2004. “Leak detection in water trunk mains using transient pressure signals: Field tests in Scottish water.” In Vol. 1 of Proc., Practical Application of Surge Analysis for Design and Operation and 9th Int. Conf. on Pressure Surges. Bedford, UK: BHR Group.
Duan, H.-F. 2016. “Transient frequency response based leak detection in water supply pipeline systems with branched and looped junctions.” J. Hydroinf. 19 (1): 17–30. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2016.008.
Duan, H.-F., P. J. Lee, A. Kashima, J. Lu, M. S. Ghidaoui, and Y.-K. Tung. 2013. “Extended blockage detection in pipes using the system frequency response: Analytical analysis and experimental verification.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 139 (7): 763–771. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000736.
Ferrante, M. Forthcoming. “The use of hydrants for transient test-based diagnosis of the water distribution systems of Milan, Italy.” J. Pipeline Syst. Eng. Pract. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000655.
Ferrante, M. 2019. “Diagnosis of a transmission main by means of transients caused by a pump switch-off.” Urban Water J. 15 (10): 1001–1006. https://doi.org/10.1080/1573062X.2019.1597376.
Ferrante, M., B. Brunone, and S. Meniconi. 2007. “Wavelets for the analysis of transient pressure signals for leak detection.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 133 (11): 1274–1282. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2007)133:11(1274).
Ferrante, M., B. Brunone, and S. Meniconi. 2009a. “Leak detection in branched pipe systems coupling wavelet analysis and a Lagrangian model.” J. Water Supply Res. Technol. AQUA 58 (2): 95–106. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2009.022.
Ferrante, M., B. Brunone, and S. Meniconi. 2009b. “Leak-edge detection.” J. Hydraul. Res. 47 (2): 233–241. https://doi.org/10.3826/jhr.2009.3220.
Ferrante, M., B. Brunone, S. Meniconi, B. W. Karney, and C. Massari. 2014. “Leak size, detectability and test conditions in pressurized pipe systems.” Water Resour. Manage. 28 (13): 4583–4598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-014-0752-6.
Forconi, E., Z. Kapelan, M. Ferrante, H. Mahmoud, and C. Capponi. 2017. “Risk-based sensor placement methods for burst/leak detection in water distribution systems.” Water Sci. Technol. Water Supply 17 (6): 1663–1672. https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2017.069.
Gong, J., M. F. Lambert, S. T. N. 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. Zecchin, A. Simpson, N. Arbon, and Y.-I. Kim. 2016. “Field study on non-invasive and non-destructive condition assessment for asbestos cement pipelines by time-domain fluid transient analysis.” Struct. Health Monit. 15 (1): 113–124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475921715624505.
Hachem, F. E., and A. J. Schleiss. 2012. “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.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 138 (1): 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000478.
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. AQUA 61 (3): 189–200. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2012.032.
Hooshmand, F., F. Amerehi, and S. A. MirHassani. 2020. “Risk-based models for optimal sensor location problems in water networks.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 146 (11): 04020086. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001293.
Kim, S. 2005. “Extensive development of leak detection algorithm by impulse response method.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 131 (3): 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2005)131:3(201).
Lee, P. J., H.-F. Duan, J. Tuck, and M. Ghidaoui. 2015. “Numerical and experimental study on the effect of signal bandwidth on pipe assessment using fluid transients.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 141 (2): 04014074. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0000961.
Lee, P. J., J. P. Vítkovský, M. F. Lambert, A. R. Simpson, and J. A. Liggett. 2005. “Frequency domain analysis for detecting pipeline leaks.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 131 (7): 596–604. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2005)131:7(596).
Louati, M. 2013. “On wave-defect interaction in pressurized conduits.” In Proc., of 2013 IAHR World Congress. Beijing: Tsinghua University Press.
Massari, C., T.-C. J. Yeh, M. Ferrante, B. Brunone, and S. Meniconi. 2014. “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.
Massari, C., T.-C. J. Yeh, M. Ferrante, B. Brunone, and S. Meniconi. 2015. “A stochastic approach for extended partial blockage detection in viscoelastic pipelines: Numerical and laboratory experiments.” J. Water Supply Res. Technol. AQUA 64 (5): 583–595. https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2015.034.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, and M. Ferrante. 2009. “In-line partially closed valves: How to detect by transient tests.” In Proc., World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2009, 1–10. Reston, VA: Environmental and Water Resources Institute of ASCE.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, M. Ferrante, C. Capponi, C. A. Carrettini, C. Chiesa, D. Segalini, and E. A. Lanfranchi. 2015. “Anomaly pre-localization in distribution–transmission mains by pump trip: Preliminary field tests in the Milan pipe system.” J. Hydroinf. 17 (3): 377–389. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2014.038.
Meniconi, S., B. Brunone, M. Ferrante, and C. Massari. 2012. “Transient hydrodynamics of in-line valves in viscoelastic pressurized pipes: Long-period analysis.” Exp. Fluids 53 (1): 265–275. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-012-1287-3.
Mohapatra, P., M. H. Chaudhry, A. Kassem, and J. Moloo. 2006. “Detection of a partial blockage in single pipelines.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 132 (2): 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(2006)132:2(200).
Priestley, M. B. 1981. Spectral analysis and time series. Probability and mathematical statistics. New York: Academic Press.
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. 2010. “Optimum leak detection and calibration of pipe networks by inverse transient analysis.” J. Hydraul. Res. 48 (3): 371–376. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221681003726304.
Shi, H., J. Gong, A. C. Zecchin, M. F. Lambert, and A. R. Simpson. 2017. “Hydraulic transient wave separation algorithm using a dual-sensor with applications to pipeline condition assessment.” J. Hydroinf. 19 (5): 752–765. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2017.146.
Soares, A. K., D. I. C. Covas, and L. F. R. Reis. 2011. “Leak detection by inverse transient analysis in an experimental PVC pipe system.” J. Hydroinf. 13 (2): 153–166. https://doi.org/10.2166/hydro.2010.012.
Starczewska, D., R. Collins, and J. Boxall. 2014. “Transient behavior in complex distribution network: A case study.” Procedia Eng. 70 (Jan): 1582–1591. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2014.02.175.
Starczewska, D., R. Collins, and J. B. Boxall. 2015. “Occurrence of transients in water distribution networks.” Procedia Eng. 119 (Jan): 1473–1482. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proeng.2016.01.001.
Wang, X., J. Lin, and M. S. Ghidaoui. 2020. “Usage and effect of multiple transient tests for pipeline leak detection.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 146 (11): 06020011. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001284.
Weber, R., and C. Hos. 2020. “Efficient technique for pipe roughness calibration and sensor placement for water distribution systems.” J. Water Resour. Plann. Manage. 146 (1): 04019070. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.0001150.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 148 • Issue 6 • June 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 31, 2021
Accepted: Feb 18, 2022
Published online: Apr 5, 2022
Published in print: Jun 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Sep 5, 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
- Marco Ferrante, The Use of Hydrants for Transient Test-Based Diagnosis of the Water Distribution Systems of Milan, Italy, Journal of Pipeline Systems Engineering and Practice, 10.1061/(ASCE)PS.1949-1204.0000655, 13, 3, (2022).