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| Author(s): |
Vitor Franco Girardi
Total Authors: 1
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| Document type: | Master's Dissertation |
| Press: | Ilha Solteira. 2022-05-25. |
| Institution: | Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Engenharia. Ilha Solteira |
| Defense date: | 2022-04-25 |
| Advisor: | Michael John Brennan; Fabrício César Lobato de Almeida |
| Abstract | |
Leaks in water pipes are one of the main problems faced by large urban centers due to the long distances from external water sources and the scarcity of water caused by climate change. To deal with this problem, water companies use vibroacoustic devices to locate leaks in their distribution network, often using equipment with vibration sensors to read the signal. Another way to mitigate this situation, which is in line with the concept of Smart cities, is the incorporation of vibration sensors (accelerometers) in residential water meters or at strategic points in the network, enabling the collection of vibration signals related to the presence of leaks in instrumented pipes. As most of the accelerometers used in leak detection problems are piezoelectric, an alternative would be the use of accelerometers manufactured by the MEMS technique (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems), which would possibly be more accessible considering the increasing the potential of this technology to reduce costs. Thus, the present work seeks to investigate the effectiveness of piezoelectric accelerometers and MEMS applied in the detection of leaks in water pipes, using analytical modelling and controlled tests. Therefore, electromechanical models were developed to investigate the parameters that influence the sensitivity and frequency range of these transducers. Laboratory experiments were carried out in conjunction with field experiments to evaluate accelerometers in detecting leak signals using classical vibroacoustic techniques. It was observed that although the capacitive MEMS accelerometers used in this work were able to detect leaks, the high sensitivity piezoelectric sensors with low generated noise presented better performance. Three accelerometers capable of measuring small leak signals and at greater distances were highlighted, being an imported piezoelectric, an imported capacitive MEMS and a piezoelectric produced in Brazil, with the best cost-benefit among the tested sensors. (AU) | |
| FAPESP's process: | 20/05961-2 - An investigation into the optimum design parameters of an inertial sensor for use in detecting water leaks from buried pipes |
| Grantee: | Vitor Franco Girardi |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Master |