On leak detection of pipelines using computational pipeline monitoring

Pipeline leaks have a severely damaging impact on the pipeline operating company's public reputation. There is a need, therefore, to develop an effective leak diagnosis scheme in pipeline systems that can detect occurrence any leak in the system. A mathematical model that accounts for the behavior of pressure and flow-rate profiles in leaky pipeline systems is developed. Such a mathematical model is needed to better understand the dynamic behavior of the pipeline and its characteristics and for the detection the leaks. Computer simulation of pipeline conditions using the developed mathematical mode is provided. A leak detection scheme is developed that is based on a computational pipeline monitoring method. This method evaluates the mismatch between the actual variables and those of the healthy pipeline system. The pipeline conditions during normal operation were simulated and the system state variables were computed in real time based on simulated measurements collected at few selected locations along the pipeline. The underlying pipeline variables are estimated by applying Kalman filtering technique.