BRIGE: Preventing Imminent Failures of Pipeline Networks via Real Time Damage Detection and Location System

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Intellectual Merit: The buried and on-ground pipelines develop damage due to temporal variables such as corrosion and creep or instantaneous threats such as earthquake and impact. The detection of leaking oil, water or natural gas in the pressurized pipelines before reaching structural instability is important to prevent any catastrophic failure and, consequently, detrimental environmental impact. The objective of this BRIGE proposal is to prevent such failures of pipeline networks using a real time damage detection scheme for early diagnostics. The research approach is based on understanding wave propagation characteristics in steel and polymer based pipelines due to leak, damage and impact, and develop novel shear sensor in order to detect and locate the source based on propagating elastic waves. Novel piezoelectric based shear sensor will allow large sensor spacing for monitoring pipelines with a limited number of sensors. A new location algorithm will be implemented using the geometric connectivity of pipeline structures, which allows locating the source in multi-dimensions using one dimensional sensor array. The developed sensor and system will be validated in field testing. Broader Impacts: Successful implementation of the research will eliminate unexpected failures in pipeline networks. The results of this research will be shared with pipeline authorities and organizations in the field of pipeline inspection and safety in order to demonstrate that the engineering methods can prevent impending catastrophic failures as a way of increasing public safety and protecting environment. The educational outreach and broadening participation approaches of the research will be to educate and mentor selected students from underrepresented groups who can be pioneers in the future challenges of critical infrastructure design and analysis; add a special interdisciplinary technical elective course to the curriculum to address how sensing systems are being integrated into parts of civil structures to prevent catastrophic failures; and support the participation of high school students into the research to attract them to engineering.