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Pipeline Leak Detection Insights

This document discusses several methods for detecting leaks in pipes. It notes that low pressure air tests between 30-50 psi can be as effective as higher pressure water tests for finding leaks, as air is less viscous and has lower surface tension than water. Methods mentioned for leak detection include helium tracing, high pressure gases, and analyzing pressure and flow rates at the inlet and outlet of a pipeline. The research paper focuses on key variables for leak detection systems like minimum detectable leak rates, detection time, and accuracy of locating and estimating leak rates. It also lists assumptions that must be considered like fluid properties, load changes, temperature variations, and phase changes. For a half-inch leak hole, the minimum detection time is estimated to be

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Vardhan Kaushik
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115 views2 pages

Pipeline Leak Detection Insights

This document discusses several methods for detecting leaks in pipes. It notes that low pressure air tests between 30-50 psi can be as effective as higher pressure water tests for finding leaks, as air is less viscous and has lower surface tension than water. Methods mentioned for leak detection include helium tracing, high pressure gases, and analyzing pressure and flow rates at the inlet and outlet of a pipeline. The research paper focuses on key variables for leak detection systems like minimum detectable leak rates, detection time, and accuracy of locating and estimating leak rates. It also lists assumptions that must be considered like fluid properties, load changes, temperature variations, and phase changes. For a half-inch leak hole, the minimum detection time is estimated to be

Uploaded by

Vardhan Kaushik
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Pipe Leak Detection System

 One way leaks :- due to pressure drop or gas-liquid systems, the leak will only allow the fluid to
flow only in one direction.
 No detection method is found for the continuous operation. Only out-of-operation methods
were found for the industrial scale.
 To find leaks, a low pressure (30-50 psi) air test is just as effective as high pressure (150 psi)
water test. This is because the viscosity and surface tension of water is greater than that of air. In
other words, Both viscosity and surface tension are forces that will prevent water from escaping
through a very small hole, forces that do not prevent air. However, this hydraulic pressure
testing is also a visual testing method and can be used when the equipment is not in operation.
 Helium, Tracer Gas, High Pressure Gas are some of the widely known Leakage detection
methods.

PAPER - I

(Pipeline Leak Detection Study, OTH 94 431)

 This research article mainly focuses on detecting the linkage in oil/gas pipelines.
 Pressure at inlet and outlet will not be sufficient as leakage diameter should also be accounted
for.
 Variables to encounter for the leakage detection:
 Minimum detectable leak rate - Threshold below which the leakage can not be detected.
 Time to detect minimum leak rate - minimum time required to detect the leak
 Accuracy of leak location estimates - accuracy for the location of leak
 Accuracy of leak rate estimates - accuracy for the volumetric flowrate from leak

 Assumptions to be taken for the developing the leak detection system:


 Fluid (liq or gas)
 Load changes - flowrate or pressure changes mainly at inlet
 Temperature changes
 Viscosity changes
 Vapor/liquid phase changes

 Regarding the above paper, minimum detection time is 20-30 mins for a half-inch (0.5”) leak
hole.
PAPER - II

(A simple method to determine leakage location in water distribution based on pressure


profiles, Prihtiadi, Azwar and Djamal, 2016)

 Paper publication is “AIP Conf. Proceedings”, which is not a good publication to rely on.
 In order to replicate this study, there is the requirement of atleast 2 sensors (atleast 1 feet apart
from each other) at both inlet and outlet ends with a high accuracy.
 However, the authors are stating that leak point can be detected via pressure gradient so there
is not a need to derive an equation for pressure drop in coil.
 But if there is any need of deriving the equation for pressure drop across helical coil then it is
time consuming task.
 The authors took 3 leak holes into account which are of same size (8mm) and between the same
sensors (sensor 6 and 7). The authors did not talked about the pressure profiles for different hole
size or leaks at different locations.
 So, the integrity of this detection method and reliability on this paper need to be checked
thoroughly with experimentation before implementing into a client’s scope.

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