Leak Monitoring with Acoustic Fiber Optic Technology
Rob King, Global Product Manager of Concrete Pipeline Solutions, Xylem
Prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) is widely used in water transmission systems around the world. With data from thousands of condition assessment projects, we know that most pipe in the ground today is still in good condition.
However, PCCP failures can be catastrophic for communities. A single failure can cost pipeline owners tens of millions of dollars in repairs, damages, and disruption.
To stay a step ahead of PCCP failures, pipeline owners have relied on inspection and monitoring technologies to detect wire breaks, understand pipe deterioration rates, and direct rehabilitation and repair efforts. When managing PCCP, leak detection is an important and often overlooked complement to wire break detection.
Leaks in Prestressed Concrete Pipe
Wire break damage is the principal failure mechanism of PCCP. However, leak detection can help pipeline owners address other failure modes, such as leaking features, damage from third parties, and issues at the pipe joint.
A 2008 report by the U.S. EPA and Water Research Foundation found that leaks were the primary mode of failure in 16% of nearly 600 PCCP failures studied. Xylem’s own inline leak detection data shows that PCCP has on average 34 leaks per 100 miles.
Xylem has also documented leaking joints that led to wire breaks in areas where the pipe was saturated. Detecting leaks early can prevent further pipe damage, minimize water loss, and help avert a catastrophic failure.
Going Beyond Wire Breaks
The first acoustic fiber optic (AFO) monitoring system was installed in a water pipeline in 2005. Pipeline owners have used this technology to detect wire breaks and reliably manage PCCP for two decades. Today, near-real-time monitoring has made over 1,000 miles of critical water pipelines intelligent. With innovation in fiber optic technology, monitoring systems can now detect both wire breaks and leaks, making pipelines even smarter.
Leak detection with SoundPrint ® AFO combines the precision of an inline leak inspection with continuous data collection, eliminating the cost and effort of routine reinspections. This latest advancement informs decision-making, improves operational efficiency, and supports pipeline owners in adopting more proactive asset management strategies.
How it Works
The part of the monitoring system that detects leaks and wire breaks looks like little more than a yellow cable running along the bottom of the pipeline. This fiber optic cable acts like a microphone along its entire length, and it’s always listening for threats.
The system is trained to pick out the telltale sound of a wire break from the background noise. Leak detection relies on a different data processing method. The system looks for deviations from the pipeline’s acoustic baseline. These deviations trigger an alert, and Xylem analyzes the signals with sophisticated algorithms to determine the precise leak location and severity. In trials, SoundPrint AFO identified leaks as small as 5 gallons per minute in an operating 96-inch pipeline.
Pipeline owners receive notifications about events of concern by email, and the real-time condition of the pipeline is available in a secure cloud environment 24/7/365.
More Insights, Better Management
With data on both wire breaks and leaks, pipeline owners are better equipped to safely and sustainably manage PCCP. Adding the ability to quickly detect leaks makes proactive pipeline management more economical and empowers owners to reduce water loss and avoid further damage to the pipeline and surrounding infrastructure.
SoundPrint AFO shows owners how their pipeline’s condition is changing over time – removing uncertainty and improving maintenance and management decisions. With this enhanced visibility, owners can prevent failures and confidently extend the life of their pipelines.
If you are interested in SoundPrint AFO leak monitoring, reach out to start a conversation today.
