ePulse Acoustic Pipe Condition Assessment

Iain Davies: Matti Andersin:

Director, Business Development Director Saint-Gobain PAM

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Echologics

• Technologies and Services for Leakage Reduction

and Asset Management

• Owned by Mueller Co - $1.5Bn company on NYSE

• HQ Toronto - offices in US, Europe, Asia, Australia

• Award winning acoustic technology

• Over 5,000km of pipeline surveyed to date

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Trunk Main Leak Detection 3

Pipe Condition Assessment 1DX Pipeline Condition Monitoring 2

Echologics’ Core Offerings

Leakage Monitoring Networks 4

Monitoring for Critical Pipelines, Distribution

TX Transmission Main Leak Detection

Permanent Distribution Main Leak Detection

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ePulse Acoustic Pipe Condition Assessment

• Non-destructive & Non-invasive• Determines average remaining wall thickness

between two points on the pipeline• Effective on all Metallic and AC pipe• Effective on any Diameter• Direct indication of

• The current structural strength of the pipe• The state of degradation of the pipe

• Can be used to evaluate• The fitness for service of the line• The remaining useful life

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Desktop study

Survey level inspection (ePulse)

Detailed NDT inspection

Destructive testing

Condition Assessment Methods

Total Replacement

Selective Replacement

Selective Refurbishment No Action

Lowering of Risk

Deferral of Capital

In general we have found Companies use a replacement programs based on desk top models.

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•

• Pressure >15 psi • No air in pipe• Contact points every

100m to 200m• Diameter : Thickness

ratio of 30:1 or less• Pipe information

(maps, as-builts,repair sections, etc.)

Method Requirements

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• Leak locations and estimated sizes

• Average structuralwall thickness

• Percentage loss• Qualitative condition• Remaining service

life also available forAC and iron mains

Deliverables For Each Test Segment

ePulse Method Summary

Tuberculation and graphitic material not adding to strength

Remaining structural thickness

Structural Thickness in Cast Iron

Cast iron Graphitisation is a weakness on the pipe and does not add strength, it has no impact on improving the hoop stiffness. (The ability for the pipe to deal with expansions and contractions.)

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Structural Thickness in AC

• Calcium leaches out of cement in reaction toaggressive waters

• Remaining material cannot bear structural load• Phenolphthalein dye reveals remaining thickness

but samples are required

Remaining structural thickness

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Acoustic Methodology

• A low frequency acoustic pressure wave (Sound) is induced• Causes the pipe wall to “flex” on a microscopic level• Thicker (and therefore stiffer)

pipe walls are more resistantto this flexing causing thewave to travel faster

• Measuring this phenomenonallows calculation of remainingwall thickness

Tuberculation: Not structural, not measured

Structural Wall Thickness

Longitudinal Crack Reduces structural thickness

Graphitized material:

Not structural, not measured

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Measurements on each Pipe Segment

• Sensor Connection▸ Valve/Hydrant for sensor connection

• Leak Detect on each segment• Velocity measurement per segment of pipe

▸ OOB signal induced by flow or tapping on pipe▸ Measurements cleaned using sound editing

software to eliminate background noise▸ Analysis to choose most accurate velocity value

• Optimum velocity value used in calculations

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Hardware LeakFinderST Correlator

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Software Interface

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Innovation Awards

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Why Echologics?

• Proprietary technology designed by ourown acoustics engineers and ST

• Highly sensitive noise sensors• Advanced signal processing• Windows based interface• High resolution soundcard records and

playbacks signals• Enhanced cross correlation and velocity

measurement in the frequency domain

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Sensor Connection

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Velocity Measurement

Noise Source

Periods coming through the pipe, sound systems pressure waves Sound is traveling down the pipe is expanding and contracting. The stiffer the pipe the more remaining wall stiffness and strength.

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Example Velocity Plot

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Equation

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Interpretation of Results

AC Mains Metallic Mains CCP

Lost Wall

Thickness Condition

Colour

Code Description

Less than

10% Good Green

Minor levels of degradation

and/or isolated areas with minor

loss of structural thickness

Minor levels of uniform

corrosion or some

localized areas with pitting

corrosion.

Minor levels of uniform interior or

exterior concrete degradation

or localized areas with severe

degradation. Minor possibility of

corrosion of steel cylinder or

reinforcement.

10% to

30% Moderate Yellow

Considerable degradation and

loss of structural thickness.

Moderate levels of cement

leeched away from asbestos

matrix.

Considerate levels of

uniform surface or internal

corrosion and/or localized

areas of pitting corrosion.

Considerate levels of

degradation and loss of wall

stiffness. Some corrosion of steel

cylinder and reinforcement.

Greater

than 30% Poor Red

Significant degradation and loss

of structural thickness.

Substantial levels of cement

leeched from asbestos matrix.

Significant uniform

corrosion and/or

numerous areas of

localized pitting corrosion.

Significant degradation and loss

of wall stiffness and corrosion of

steel cylinder and

reinforcement.

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Example Results 250mm AC Pipe - PWN, Netherlands

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Example: Pipe Comparison Pipeline 1 Pipeline 2

Installed 1860 Installed 1860

Brown sandy soil Brown clay soil

Moderate soil corrosivity Moderate soil corrosivity

Echologics Results: 31% thickness loss Echologics Results: 1% thickness loss

Condition Prediction: Poor Condition Prediction: Good

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Project Example 1 Las Vegas

• Initial pilot study successful, now 5 year renewable contract• Majority of AC assessed to be in excellent condition therefore

identified mains that did not require rehab or replacement

• Also identified several areas of degradation on large diameter pipe▸ Example: 1 section of 24” pipe assessed to be 38% degraded

• Also saved on replacement of 2.5 miles of 16” to 36” bar-wrappedsteel cylinder transmission main (for 10 miles surveyed)

• Reduced overall rehabilitation budget by $2,000,000

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Project Example 2 Newark New Jersey

Problem: • City relining water pipe in high-traffic road• Estimated project cost more than $60,000

Results: • ¼” service leak immediately located (annual

marginal cost of water lost > $20,000)• Identified section of pipe with 64% loss of

structural integrity requiring replacement• City now reviewing plans for annual

distribution main rehabilitation program

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Customer Requirements

The low cost and minimal support required for ePulse make it easy to scale to large portions of a network.

Feature Advantage Benefit Test from outside the main

No operational disruptions

Lower preparation costs. Water never contaminated. Sediment undisturbed.

Works with all appurtenances

No need to dig up the main or install new ports

Lower total project costs. Minimal traffic disruptions.

Field tests fast, non-disruptive

Test 1 km / team / day with minimal support

Scalable to large portions of a network

Report current wall thickness

Easily predict remaining useful life

Allows clear decisions about replacement or rehabilitation.

Verified and proven

Dozens of utilities have verified our results

Utilities can act with confidence in the information provided

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Netherlands to November 2014

Co’s: Evides, PWN, Dunea, WML and Brabant Distance: 23 km of mains tested Results: 106 segments Good

59 Moderate, 25 Poor (15 n/a)

106

59

25

15

Good

Moderate

Poor

N/A

Percentage Loss Condition ColourLess than 10% Good Green10% to 30% Moderate YellowGreater than 30% Poor Red

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Leaks Detected

Since 2012 concurrent with ePulse testing:

▸ 6 main breaks

▸ 3 Service Pipes

▸ 4 valve leaks

Estimated volumetric saving of 1200 litres/minute

Ota yhteyttä: Saint-Gobain PAM www.pamline.fi