Eventos Anais de eventos
CREEM2025
CREEM 2025 - XXXI Congresso Nacional de Estudantes de Engenharia Mecânica Congresso Nacional de Estudantes de Engenharia Mecânica
GUIDELINES FOR BANDWIDTH SELECTION FOR LEAK NOISE DETECTION IN BURIED PIPELINES
Submission Author:
Leticia Caroline dos Santos Assis , SP , Brazil
Co-Authors:
Leticia Caroline dos Santos Assis, Oscar Scussel
Presenter: Leticia Caroline dos Santos Assis
doi://10.26678/ABCM.CREEM2025.CRE2025-0053
Abstract
Accurate leak detection in buried water pipelines remains a significant challenge, particularly due to the difficulty in predicting the frequency bandwidth of leak noise prior to on-site testing using acoustic methods. This frequency range is critical for configuring acoustic correlators and optimizing sensor deployment, yet no widely adopted practical method currently exists to estimate it in advance. This paper reviews a model-based approach that has been proposed to predict leak noise bandwidth and examines the key factors influencing it. By representing the pipe–soil–sensor system as a series of filters, the reviewed method explores how physical and geometric characteristics affect signal propagation. Two models for wavenumber prediction of the leak-induced wave are investigated, considering key parameters such as sensor spacing, wave speed, and attenuation. The predicted bandwidths are then validated using measurements from an experimental test rig. Results show that pipe and soil properties, as well as transducer type, are dominant factors influencing leak noise propagation. These findings support more accurate bandwidth estimation and improved leak detection strategies.
Keywords
Leak Noise Bandwidth, Buried Pipelines, wave propagation, Acoustic Correlator
