Method for leak detection in a pipeline system and a measuring w

Measuring and testing – With fluid pressure – Leakage

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G01M 328

Patent

active

043610307

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF ART

The invention relates to a method for the monitoring of interconnected pipelines or pipeline systems, such as, in particular, public drinking water supply systems, for leakage losses and leakage location, as well as to an installable, prefabricated measuring well usable in conducting the method.
In public drinking water supply systems, considerable losses occur in certain circumstances due to burst pipes, leakages, and the like. Such leakages can occur on account of the weather, i.e. after times of drought or strong freezing the leakage losses are on the rise. Leakage losses of this type are often unrecognizable, because the pipelines are normally laid underground. Losses are understood to mean essentially the amount of water resulting substantially from the difference between the quantity of water supplied to the system and the quantity of water which can be charged to the consumers.


BACKGROUND STATE OF THE ART

For the monitoring of pipelines for leakage losses and for leakage location in these pipelines, it is known in petroleum pipelines to install control stations along the pipelines and to evaluate the flow characteristics detected at those locations, such as flow rate, flow direction, flow noise, fluid pressure, or the like, with reference to the fluid supplied to the lines and removed therefrom and thereafter, upon the detection of a leak, to locate and subsequently eliminate such leak between two such control stations by means of purposeful measuring and locating operations. In case of petroleum or like media deleterious to the environment, monitoring takes place continuously. Evaluation likewise takes place continuously or quasi-continuously (for example in multiplex). Such methods are known, for example, from: "Z. 3R International, 15th year (July 1976) 7:375-381", "Z. TU11 (June 1970) 6:213-215", "Z. Ol-Zeitschrift fur die Mineralolwirtschaft [Oil Magazine for Mineral Oil Economy] (1973):2-6."
To recognize leakage losses and to locate leakages in interconnected pipeline systems such as, in particular, public drinking water supply systems, it is traditionally customary to travel along the pipeline network and investigate the presence of leaks by means of conventional locating methods. Apart from the fact that only large leaks can be detected, in general, by means of the heretofore customary methods while seepage and noiseless leaks in most cases remain undetected, the conventional method has the disadvantage that a specific point of the pipeline system will be investigated only at very large temporal intervals, in most cases once a year, whereas it is possible for a leak to occur at this point directly after investigation, and this leak will be detected only upon the next investigation. Particularly in case of newly laid pipeline systems examined for leakproofness before being placed in operation, this is a grave disadvantage since the investigation of these pipeline systems in most cases is not begun until several years later.
The losses determined in public drinking water supply systems can markedly exceed 10%, especially if areas with non-reconstructed, old buildings are involved, or if the subterranean conditions are problematic from a geological viewpoint. Since the drinking water must be conveyed under considerable expense and frequently requires treatment (e.g. by means of desalination plants or the like), the socioeconomic losses are considerable.
In case one would apply the methods known in petroleum pipelines, requiring very great accuracy, to the examination of interconnected pipeline systems, a very large number of measuring and control stations would have to be provided, since the conventional methods can only be used for the investigation of conduit sections without branching, even taking house connections into account. Moreover evaluation in the conventional methods takes place continuously. Accordingly, the conventional methods are inapplicable in case of interconnected pipeline systems wherein the conduit length between branching and consumer points sometimes amo

REFERENCES:
patent: 1693737 (1928-12-01), Weldon
patent: 3702074 (1972-11-01), Mullen
patent: 3805817 (1974-04-01), Smith
World Health Org. Proj. No. India 0176.03, 1971-1972.
UMSchau 1964, vol. 1, p. 29.
Z. 3R International, 15th yr., (Jul. 1976), 7: 375-381.
Z. Tu 11, (Jun. 1970), 6: 213-215.
Z. Oel, (1973), 2-6.

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