Leak detection in water trunk mains using transient pressure signals : field tests in Scottish water

This paper reports the results of a field programme that has been carried out under Work Package 3 (WP3 - Leakage Detection) of the joint European Commission's Fifth Framework 'Growth' Programme via the Thematic Network Surge-Net. WP3 research work is currently being carried out jointly by Scottish Water (SW), Instituto Superior Tecnico (1ST) and University of Perugia (UoP) during the three-year period 2002-2004. The paper summarises the work developed and results obtained so far under WP3 whose objective is leak detection in pipelines using transient pressure signals. Several transient tests were carried out in a Scottish Water real life system with simulated pipe bursts - the Lintrathen East Trunk main network (Dundee, UK). Collected transient data are being used for testing and validating a number of novel transient-based leak detection methodologies, such as time analysis of the leak reflected wave and inverse transient analysis (ITA). Both methods have proven to be successful in the detection and location of leaks of a 'reasonable' size, providing that physical and hydraulic characteristics of the system are known, the transient is generated by a fast-linear manoeuvre of a valve, and, in the case of ITA, an accurate transient solver is used. Conclusions are drawn on the future full-scale application of the investigated transient-based leak detection techniques.