Eventos Anais de eventos
CREEM2025
CREEM 2025 - XXXI Congresso Nacional de Estudantes de Engenharia Mecânica Congresso Nacional de Estudantes de Engenharia Mecânica
EXPLORING UNCERTAINTIES IN THE PROPAGATION OF LEAK NOISE WAVE IN BURIED WATER PIPES
Submission Author:
Kauê da Silva Rodrigues , SP , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Kauê da Silva Rodrigues, Oscar Scussel
Presenter: Kauê da Silva Rodrigues
doi://10.26678/ABCM.CREEM2025.CRE2025-0046
Abstract
Water shortages are an increasing global concern, with leaks in distribution pipelines contributing significantly to water loss. Acoustic leak detection methods, such as correlators, rely on wave propagation behaviour —particularly of the fluid-borne s=1 wave. This study presents a novel stochastic analysis of s=1 wave wavenumber uncertainties using Monte Carlo simulation, an approach not previously applied in this context. Numerical simulations are performed by treating pipe geometry, material properties, and soil parameters as stochastic variables within analytical wave propagation models. Both in-air and buried pipe scenarios are investigated. The method enables the estimation of upper and lower bounds for wave speed and wave attenuation, offering valuable insight into the variability of leak-induced acoustic signals. Validation at two test sites (UK and Brazil) shows strong agreement between predicted and measured wavenumber ranges. The results emphasize the importance of accounting for pipe and soil dynamical stiffnesses variability and demonstrate the method’s potential to improve leak localization accuracy.
Keywords
Leak Noise Wave Propagation, Buried pipes, stochastic modelling, Water Distribution Systems
