A large percentage of water is lost in many water distribution systems in transit from the treatment plant to the consumer. Available statistics show that the amount of real (physical) water losses may exceed 30% of the input volume (EPA, 2010). Several techniques and equipment for pinpointing leaks are available. Acoustic devices are the principal type of equipment used to locate leaks in distribution systems (Hunaidi et al., 2006, Hunaidi et al., 2000, Gao et al., 2005, Khulief et al., 2012). This work investigates the use of vibration monitoring tools and acoustic measurements for the detection of burst leaks in water pipelines. The long-term project, planned by the R&D department of the multi-utility Hera S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy), aims at developing a device for automatically detecting bursts located in the customer connection branches running from the mains to the user’s water meter. The system should permit early detection of water leaks and, together with a DMA software management and the system for automatic meter reading (AMR), is expected to improve the efficiency of the water distribution system.
Automatic leak detection in water distribution networks
MARTINI, ALBERTO;TRONCOSSI, MARCO;
2014
Abstract
A large percentage of water is lost in many water distribution systems in transit from the treatment plant to the consumer. Available statistics show that the amount of real (physical) water losses may exceed 30% of the input volume (EPA, 2010). Several techniques and equipment for pinpointing leaks are available. Acoustic devices are the principal type of equipment used to locate leaks in distribution systems (Hunaidi et al., 2006, Hunaidi et al., 2000, Gao et al., 2005, Khulief et al., 2012). This work investigates the use of vibration monitoring tools and acoustic measurements for the detection of burst leaks in water pipelines. The long-term project, planned by the R&D department of the multi-utility Hera S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy), aims at developing a device for automatically detecting bursts located in the customer connection branches running from the mains to the user’s water meter. The system should permit early detection of water leaks and, together with a DMA software management and the system for automatic meter reading (AMR), is expected to improve the efficiency of the water distribution system.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
