Localizing Pipe Wall Features Using Acoustic Wave Propagation in Water Bar Inside of Pipe

摘要

Acoustic wave propagation has been widely applied for the detection of anomalies in buried pipelines. Anomalies such as joints, damages, and defects in a pipe change the stiffness of the pipe, and investigating the interaction of the acoustic wave with these pipe features is a reputable approach to detect and locate them. Acoustic wave propagation-based nondestructive evaluation (NDE) through integrated actuators and sensors has been used extensively for condition assessment of different types of pipes in the last decade. This study illustrates the effects of the presence of joints on acoustic wave propagation inside the fluid bar in a buried pipe. Presence of the joint increases the local thickness and consequently the speed of the acoustic wave in the fluid bar. To identify joints, acoustic wave propagation was studied when a wave passes through a joint. Finite-element (FE) software was used to carry out simulations, and obtained results showed a good agreement with field data. A 93% increase in accuracy of localizing joints was achieved. (C) 2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.