IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v10y2017i8p1226-d108699.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A Sensitivity Analysis of a Computer Model-Based Leak Detection System for Oil Pipelines

Author

Listed:
  • Zhe Lu

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 7-203 Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada)

  • Yuntong She

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 7-203 Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada)

  • Mark Loewen

    (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Alberta, 7-203 Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering, 9211 116 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 1H9, Canada)

Abstract

Improving leak detection capability to eliminate undetected releases is an area of focus for the energy pipeline industry, and the pipeline companies are working to improve existing methods for monitoring their pipelines. Computer model-based leak detection methods that detect leaks by analyzing the pipeline hydraulic state have been widely employed in the industry, but their effectiveness in practical applications is often challenged by real-world uncertainties. This study quantitatively assessed the effects of uncertainties on leak detectability of a commonly used real-time transient model-based leak detection system. Uncertainties in fluid properties, field sensors, and the data acquisition system were evaluated. Errors were introduced into the input variables of the leak detection system individually and collectively, and the changes in leak detectability caused by the uncertainties were quantified using simulated leaks. This study provides valuable quantitative results contributing towards a better understanding of how real-world uncertainties affect leak detection. A general ranking of the importance of the uncertainty sources was obtained: from high to low it is time skew, bulk modulus error, viscosity error, and polling time. It was also shown that inertia-dominated pipeline systems were less sensitive to uncertainties compared to friction-dominated systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhe Lu & Yuntong She & Mark Loewen, 2017. "A Sensitivity Analysis of a Computer Model-Based Leak Detection System for Oil Pipelines," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:8:p:1226-:d:108699
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/8/1226/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/10/8/1226/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Huan-Feng Duan, 2015. "Uncertainty Analysis of Transient Flow Modeling and Transient-Based Leak Detection in Elastic Water Pipeline Systems," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(14), pages 5413-5427, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Caterina Capponi & Silvia Meniconi & Pedro J. Lee & Bruno Brunone & Marco Cifrodelli, 2020. "Time-domain Analysis of Laboratory Experiments on the Transient Pressure Damping in a Leaky Polymeric Pipe," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 34(2), pages 501-514, January.
    2. Yuan Huang & Huan-Feng Duan & Ming Zhao & Qingzhou Zhang & Hongbin Zhao & Ke Zhang, 2017. "Transient Influence Zone Based Decomposition of Water Distribution Networks for Efficient Transient Analysis," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(6), pages 1915-1929, April.
    3. Sang Hyun Kim, 2017. "Multiple Leakage Function for a Simple Pipeline System," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(9), pages 2659-2673, July.
    4. Huan-Feng Duan, 2018. "Accuracy and Sensitivity Evaluation of TFR Method for Leak Detection in Multiple-Pipeline Water Supply Systems," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 32(6), pages 2147-2164, April.
    5. Sanghyun Kim, 2016. "Impedance Method for Abnormality Detection of a Branched Pipeline System," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 30(3), pages 1101-1115, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:10:y:2017:i:8:p:1226-:d:108699. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.