An inverse validation for detecting pipe leaks with a TDR-based method

Recently, an innovative system based on time domain reflectometry (TDR) for the individuation of leaks in underground pipes has been proposed and validated. Starting from the results obtained so far, the present works aims at further investigating the practical applicability of the aforementioned system. In particular, the goal of this work is to assess the system in the detection of two close leaks (i.e. leakages that may occur on the same length of pipe). To this purpose, an experimental setup was arranged: two “leakage conditions” were imposed, and the position of the leaks were considered as unknown and calculated through the dedicated developed algorithm. Results show that, differently from traditional leak detection methods (in which the presence of a leak may “mask” the presence of other leaks), the TDR-based system successfully individuates and correctly localizes the presence of two leaks.