Att finna läckor i vattendistributionsledningar underlättas med kännedom om deras ljudegenskaper / Finding leaks in water distribution pipes is made easier with knowledge of their acoustic properties

This paper reviews the acoustic conditions in water distribution pipes, comparing a typical background noise with the noise that can be registered when a leak is present. Five different acoustic characteristics are discussed, namely the resonance frequency of the pipe system, the turbulent pressure variations that are caused by a leak, the wide band noise generated by the water spouting out through the leak, the attenuation of sound waves propagating through the water in the pipe and the loss of acoustic signals through a plastic pipe wall. These characteristics are to a great extent independent of each other.

Using the acoustic information, it will be possible to design leak localizing devices that use only one single access point and which can be deployed for all types of pipe material, including plastic pipes and pipes of larger diameters. Monitoring can normally be carried out under normal system pressure, thereby avoiding the introduction of impurities into detached sections.