Simulation of leak noise propagation and detection using comsol multiphysics

Pipelines leak detection represents an essential aspect in pipeline rehabilitation to avoid any unexpected failure. Several detection techniques have been adopted and received a widespread application in pipeline inspection nowadays but still present a major challenge to field operators. This paper presents an attempt to develop correlations between leaks and their effect on the fluid characteristics inside the pipeline such as fluid velocity, variation of pressure and sound level due to the presence of leaks along the pipeline. Characterization of these parameters and how they propagate with respect to time from the leak source will allow the development of a solution to detect leaks and quantify the amount of fluid being lost. This paper aims at conducting an experimental investigation to determine the sound level for specified leak sizes. The experimental data was used in COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate various fluid flow scenarios inside a 2 in. (5.08 cm.) pipe with different leak sizes.