Detection and location of a partial blockage in pipeline systems using damping of fluid transients

Abstract

A new blockage detection method using blockage-induced transient damping is developed based on a linear analytical solution for the transients in a pipeline with a blockage. The linear analysis indicates that pipe friction damping on a pipe transient is exactly exponential, while the blockage damping is exponential for each of the individual harmonic components. For each individual component, the blockage-induced damping depends on the blockage magnitude and position and is independent of measurement location and the transient event. The proposed blockage detection method is successful in detecting, locating and quantifying a pipe blockage based on the laboratory experiments.