Modified factorized wave model for pipe leak localization via a single access point

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Matched-field processing (MFP) is an accurate, robust, and efficient method for leak localization in water supply pipes. However, its existing built-in wave model requires multiple access points to place pressure sensors, which cannot be guaranteed for buried pipes. To address this problem, this paper derives a modified factorized wave model based on the small-leak approximation. It allows MFP to be implemented via a single access point. Compared with existing models, the modified model is less sensitive to modeling errors, which are canceled out in the analytical derivation. Numerical tests demonstrate that the proposed method can accurately localize a single leak and distinguish multiple leaks with a separation distance larger than the diffraction limit. Laboratory experiments validate that the proposed method can successfully localize unknown leaks in a high-density polyethylene pipe even with the practical field noise.