Finite element analysis and experimental measurement of acoustic wave propagation for leakage detection in an air-filled pipe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to employ the acoustic wave propagation method for leakage detection in pipes. The first objective is to use acoustic finite element analysis (AFEA) method to simulate acoustic wave propagation and acoustic wave reflectometry in an intact pipe and in pipes with leaks of various sizes. This is followed by the second objective which is to validate the effectiveness and the practicability of the acoustic wave method via experimental testing. The third objective involves the decomposition and de-noising of the measured acoustic waves using stationary wavelet transform (SWT). It is shown that this approach, which is used for the first time on leakage detection in pipes, can be used to identify, locate and estimate the size of a leakage defect in a pipe. Design/methodology/approach The research work was designed inline with best practices and acceptable standards. The research methodology focusses on five basic areas: literature review; experimental measurements; simulations; data analysis and writing-up of the study with clear-cut communication of the findings. The approach used was acoustic wave propagation-based method in conjunction with SWT for leakage detection in fluid-filled pipe. Findings First, the simulation of acoustic wave propagation and acoustic wave reflectometry in fluid-filled pipes with and without leakage have great potential in leakage detection in pipeline systems and can detect very small leaks of 1 mm diameter. Second, the measured noise-contaminated acoustic wave propagation in a fluid-filled pipe can be successfully de-noised using the SWT method in order to clearly identify and locate leakage as little as 5 mm diameter in a pipe. Third, AFEA of a fluid-filled pipe can be achieved with the simulation of only the fluid content of the pipe and without the inclusion of the pipe in the model. This eliminates contact interaction of the solid pipe walls and the fluid, and as a consequence reduces computational time and resources. Fourth, the relationship of the ratio of the leakage diameter to the ratio of the first and second secondary wave amplitudes caused by the leakage can be represented by a second-order polynomial function. Fifth, the identification of leakage in a pipe is intuitive from mere comparison of the acoustic waveforms of an intact pipe with that of a pipe with a leakage. Originality/value The research work is a novelty and was developed from the scratch. The AFEA of acoustic wave propagation and acoustic wave reflectometry in a static fluid-filled pipe, and the SWT method have been used for the first time to detect, locate and estimate the size of a leakage in a fluid-filled pipe.