The detection and location of leaks in pipeline networks is a major problem and the reduction of these leaks has become a major priority for pipeline authorities around the world. Although the reasons for these leaks are well known, some of the current methods for locating and identifying them are either complicated or imprecise; most of them are time consuming. The work described here shows that cepstrum analysis is a viable approach to leak detection and location in pipeline networks. The method uses pressure waves caused by quickly opening and closing a solenoid valve. Due to their simplicity and robustness, transient analyses provide a plausible route towards leak detection. For this work, the time domain signals of these pressure transients were obtained using a single pressure transducer. These pressure signals were first filtered using discrete wavelets to remove the dc offset, and the low and high frequencies. They were then analysed using a cepstrum method which identified the time delay between the initial wave and its reflections. There were some features in the processed results which can be ascribed to features in the pipeline network such as junctions and pipe ends. When holes were drilled in the pipe, new peaks occurred which identified the presence of a leak in the pipeline network. When tested with holes of different sizes, the amplitude of the processed peak was seen to increase as the cube root of the leak diameter. Using this method, it is possible to identify leaks that are difficult to find by other methods as they are small in comparison with the flow through the pipe.
A wide range of evidence supports policies which encourage people to cycle more and drive less, for health and environmental reasons. However, the likely energy implications of such a modal shift have remained relatively unexplored. In this paper we generate scenarios for increasing the cycling rate in Sheffield between 2010 and 2020. This is done through the novel application of a simple model, borrowed from population ecology. The analysis suggests that pro-cycling interventions result in energy savings through reduced consumption of fuel and cars, and energy costs through increased demand for food. The cumulative impact is a net reduction in primary energy consumption, the magnitude of which depends on a number of variables which are subject to uncertainty. Based on the evidence presented and analysed in this paper, we conclude that transport policy has a number of important energy implications, some of which remain unexplored. We therefore advocate the formation of closer links between energy policy and transport policy in academia and in practice; our approach provides a simple yet flexible framework for pursuing this aim in the context of modal shift.
This work focuses on the progress of a new analysis technique to detect pipeline leaks and features based on analysis of a pressure transient. The measured time domain signals of these transients were obtained using a single pressure transducer. The instantaneous phase and frequency of the signals are analyzed using the Hilbert transform (HT) and the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT). Both simulated and experimental pressure signals were used to evaluate the performance of these transforms. The analysis of simulated signals allowed features in the pipeline network such as leaks and pipe ends to be ascribed to features in the signals. Analysis of the experimental tests corroborates the simulated test results when the HT and the HHT analysis are used.
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