Remote sensing techology for leak detection

Question

Hello, I was wondering if anyone had experience in remote sensing of leakage in water distribution systems using drones.
Preferably a technology that doesn't require the infrastructure to be in an arid region. TIA!

David Hughes · Answer

We are talking about leakage in water distribution systems and a major issue is small, nonsurfacing leaks that do not produce a significant pressure differential.  Because these leaks can run for months, water loss is significant (and some eventually cause damage when the leak evolves into a major break or undermines the soil)  For nonplastic distribution pipe, correlating acoustic monitoring is a well practiced technique available from several vendors (including Echologics, Guterman, Aquarius Spectrum).

Arnold Liu · Answer

Pipeline leak detection by mass / standard volume balance is the only truly rigorous method, but is currently   virtually impossible due to very lax measurement practices.  In high value petrochemical applications, it has proven to be of utility.
In nominally incompressible flows, the computationally lowest detectable leak will be approximately 2.5*(calibration uncertainty + meter repeatability).  Once leakage loss is detected, the location is approximated via downstream-upstream pressure drop convergence techniques.

David Hughes · Answer

Mr Wu Hao is correct about drone collection of noise logger information.  However, it is far more common today to use AMI networks that typically transmit meter data through radio frequency or cellular systems to collect this data.

wu hao · Answer

The leakages need to be pinpointed，are invisible and underground. Drones might be useful to survey water consumption points along the main.
Or drone can reveive radio data sent by Noise loggers inside valve chambers. Those radio data can be used for leakage detection.

wu hao · Answer

The leakages need to be pinpointed，are invisible and underground. Drones might be useful to survey water consumption points along the main pipe.
Or drone can receive radio data sent by Noise loggers inside valve chambers. Those radio data can be used for leakage detection.

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