Leak Detection and Location Pinpointing in Water Pipeline Systems Using a Wireless Sensor Network

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of wireless devices that are installed above the ground, buried under the dense soil, or placed in any underground spaces. WSNs have an immensely promising future which could impact diverse applications including water, oil, and gas pipeline leak detection. Any leak in the pipeline can trigger major financial losses and possible environmental damages. Almost twenty percent of the US water supply is lost annually because of pipe leakage. WSNs can be extremely useful in providing a solution for this problem. This paper presents a sensor network design method that uses pressure sensors to measure water pressure inside a pipe in different locations. Arduino and XBee (Zigbee) collect the pressure data, and exponential curve fitting technique determines leak and its location by analyzing the data. It demonstrates acceptable accuracy in predicting a leak and leak location under real world conditions for a given network. Moreover, it advises the acceptable distance between pressure sensors in a pipeline.

I. Introduction

The pipeline system is a very important medium for transporting vital materials such as water, oil, and gas. Performance of the pipelines can be highly impacted by corrosion, cracking, accidental damage, and manufacturing flaws. Most of the pipelines, particularly underground pipelines, are operated at high pressure and temperature, which can often result in pipeline malfunction. Even a small water or oil pipeline leak can cause serious problems. Hence, continuous remote monitoring and assessment of the pipelines are necessary to prevent losses. The nature of the problem was emphasized in a World Bank investigation, which estimated the total global annual cost of leakage is $14 billion [1]. At the same time, with each new generation of electronics, sensors have become smaller, less expensive, and more sophisticated. As a result, sensors are producing more data, allowing for a more accurate assessment of a system, warning of environmental threats, and sensing of problems. Researchers have used various methods to detect and locate leaks in pipeline systems. Acoustic measurements, pressure measurements, fiber optic monitoring, and multimodal system analysis are the most common methods. Sensors play a pivotal role in detecting a leak in the pipeline system. Liu and Kleiner [2] study the sensor technologies used in monitoring pipe structural failure.