Standing Wave Difference Method for Leak Detection in Pipeline Systems

The current paper focuses on leakage detection in pipe systems by means of the standing wave difference method (SWDM) used for cable fault location in electrical engineering. This method is based on the generation of a steady-oscillatory flow in a pipe system, by the sinusoidal maneuver of a valve, and the analysis of the frequency response of the system for a certain range of oscillatory frequencies. The SWDM is applied to several configurations of pipe systems with different leak locations and sizes. A leak creates a resonance effect in the pressure signal with a secondary superimposed standing wave. The pressure measurement and the spectral analysis of the maximum pressure amplitude at the excitation site enable the identification of the leak frequencies and, consequently, the estimation of the leak approximate location. Practical difficulties of implementation of this technique in real life systems are discussed.