RAINDROP: tRansforming Acoustic SensINg for leak detection in trunk mains and water DistRibutiOn Pipelines

这项建议旨在开发一套由三种创新的声学传感技术组成的套件，用于检测干管和配电干管的漏水情况，能够提供相对于现有能力的显著改进的检测能力，并使应对水务行业面临的挑战所需的步骤发生变化。虽然这项工作主要针对水务行业，与英国水务行业研究(UKWIR)的“2050年零泄漏”倡议保持一致，但该工作也与天然气和石油行业相关。管道泄漏是所有三个部门的主要问题，浪费自然资源，造成负面环境和经济影响，并造成严重的安全风险。在水务行业，声学方法是检测泄漏的主要方法。然而，现有方法的成功应用需要经常接触管道，例如通过消防栓，这从根本上限制了这些方法的应用。这些问题在自来水干管、塑料管道和长距离石油和天然气管道中尤为严重。我们将开发的技术包括：(I)使用环形管道上光纤的分布式声波传感(DAS)监测整个管道的声压；(Ii)使用细小的金属棒将离散位置的管壁振动耦合到地面，使用传统传感器(例如加速计或检波器)可以监测管壁的振动；(Iii)便携式‘地球相机’，用于检测和精确定位地面泄漏-得到英国水务工业研究中心及其成员的广泛认可。与英国漏水网络一起，他们为管道的分布式声学监测和远程泄漏检测开辟了可能性。这项研究将包括理论建模，重点是基于物理的机械方法；在实验室、室外试验场和活水网络上的实验测量；以及信号处理。

This proposal aims to develop a suite of three innovative acoustic sensing technologies for detecting water leaks in trunk and distribution mains that is able to provide significantly improved detection relative to current capabilities and enable the step change necessary to meet the challenges facing the water industry. Although primarily aimed at the water industry, aligning with the UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) initiative 'Zero Leakage 2050', the work is also relevant to the gas and oil sectors. Leakage from pipes is a major issue in all three sectors, wasting natural resources, resulting in negative environmental and economic impacts, and causing serious safety risks. In the water industry, acoustic methods are the dominant methods for detecting leaks. However, successful application of existing methods requires regular access to the pipes, e.g. via a hydrant, which fundamentally limits the application of these methods. These problems are particularly acute in water trunk mains, in plastic pipes and in long distance oil and gas pipelines.The technologies we shall develop are:(i) Monitoring acoustic pressure along an entire pipeline using distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) using circumferential on-pipe optical fibres(ii) Coupling the vibration of the pipe wall at discrete locations to the ground surface using fine metal rods, the top of which can be monitored using conventional sensors (e.g. accelerometers or geophones)(iii) A portable 'geo- camera' to detect and pinpoint leaks from the ground surfaceReceiving widespread endorsement from both UK Water Industry Research and their members, along with the UK Water Leakage Network, they open up possibilities for both distributed acoustic monitoring of pipelines for leak prevention, as well as the remote detection of leaks.The research will comprise theoretical modelling, with a focus on physics-based mechanistic approaches; experimental measurements, in the laboratory, at outdoor test sites and on the live water network; and signal processing.