Leak detection in pipelines using cepstrum analysis

The detection and location of leaks in pipeline networks is a major problem and the reduction of these leaks has become a major priority for pipeline authorities around the world. Although the reasons for these leaks are well known, some of the current methods for locating and identifying them are either complicated or imprecise; most of them are time consuming. The work described here shows that cepstrum analysis is a viable approach to leak detection and location in pipeline networks. The method uses pressure waves caused by quickly opening and closing a solenoid valve. Due to their simplicity and robustness, transient analyses provide a plausible route towards leak detection. For this work, the time domain signals of these pressure transients were obtained using a single pressure transducer. These pressure signals were first filtered using discrete wavelets to remove the dc offset, and the low and high frequencies. They were then analysed using a cepstrum method which identified the time delay between the initial wave and its reflections. There were some features in the processed results which can be ascribed to features in the pipeline network such as junctions and pipe ends. When holes were drilled in the pipe, new peaks occurred which identified the presence of a leak in the pipeline network. When tested with holes of different sizes, the amplitude of the processed peak was seen to increase as the cube root of the leak diameter. Using this method, it is possible to identify leaks that are difficult to find by other methods as they are small in comparison with the flow through the pipe.