Multiphysics Analysis Advances Water Main Leak Detection

Sebastien Perrier, Echologics, Canada

As infrastructure ages and becomes obsolete, municipalities must deal with the constant updating and renovating required to maintain cities' adherence to modern standards. When it comes to water pipe networks, locating leaks is difficult. To combat this, engineers at Echologics created a model that studies the acoustic-structure interaction of pipes and calculates the speed of sound. They then integrated the model into a simulation app that analyzes custom geometries and materials to predict leak locations.

An easy-to-use interface guides a user to predict an accurate leak location by defining geometry and pipe characteristics. The app calculates the speed of sound in the pipe and allows the user to visualize, with an animation, the sound propagation from the leak location, while hiding the complex calculations for acoustic-structure interaction and location prediction.

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