Locating leaks & dumps in open channels with minimal sensing

In this paper, we investigate methods for automated localization of leaks and dumps in an open channel flow. We propose a framework under which we solve this important system health monitoring problem by using a network of level sensors and estimation algorithms. We first discuss numerical techniques for simulating a channel with leaks or dumps. We then give results of a multiple-model estimation technique and study its performance against model uncertainty and noise. We find the method to be both robust and accurate. We also find that the sensing accuracy increases at least quadratically by addition of sensors. This is achieved by using a search algorithm on the errors generated by multiple PDE models.