A group of Da Nang students applied 4G technology to diagnose the location of water pipe leaks, with an error of 0.4% and a delay of less than 10 seconds.
The research was conducted by a group of students Duong Thi Thanh Ha, Doan Anh Van, Nguyen Tan Quy, Nguyen Quang Vinh and Pham Thanh Vy, studying at the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Technical Education – University of Da Nang. for 2 years to promptly handle leaks and reduce water loss.
Duong Thi Thanh Ha, a representative of the group, said that currently the methods used to prevent water leakage are mainly observed with the naked eye. This takes a lot of time and is not effective for deeply buried pipes with groundwater leaks. Ultrasonic detectors are rated for high accuracy, however this device has a small detection range and takes a lot of time to identify leaks. Accordingly, the team built a water leak diagnosis system applying 4G technology to overcome the above disadvantages.
The system designed by the team includes hardware such as flow and pressure sensors mounted at both ends of the pipeline branch that needs to be monitored and at the control center away from the pipeline. This hardware block has the function of collecting sensor data and transmitting it to the center via the 4G wireless network.
The team also built software with algorithms that process data from sensors mounted at both ends of the pipeline to determine the location of the leak. The software has an interface that displays parameters of the pipeline system such as leak location, water flow and pressure.
When the system operates, flow and pressure sensors in the pipeline transmit data to the monitoring center via a 4G network connection. The monitoring center has an embedded computer that applies leak location diagnostic algorithms. When the parameters from the sensor change abnormally, the signal is transmitted to the application and a warning is issued to the operator to know the location of the leak point and provide a timely treatment plan.
Model of the group’s water leak prevention system using 4G technology. Image: NVCC
To evaluate the feasibility, the team created a 40 m long water pipe system divided into two branches, with sensors attached at both ends for experimentation. Valves are arranged along the pipeline to simulate leaks. The team measured the distance from the valves to the pipe end to compare with the estimated leak locations from the algorithm. When opening two valves, two leak points are created at 8.3 m and 13.5 m. After about 10 seconds, the system returns the exact leak point. Tested many times, the team evaluated the system with an error of about 0.4%.
According to Thanh Ha, water pipes are often buried underground, so knowing the exact location will help a lot in troubleshooting, saving water loss, and protecting the environment. In the near future, the group will aim to apply artificial intelligence to build mathematical models for complex systems. This model takes into account uncertain components such as pipe abrasion, water flow friction… to give more accurate results.
Dr. Pham Thanh Phong, Lecturer of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Technical Education – University of Danang, highly appreciated the research results. However, he said that the group’s project is stopping at testing on the model, and there are no conditions for experimental investment from the city’s actual pipeline system.
According to Dr. Phong, the team’s monitoring system attaches sensors at both ends of the pipeline branch, so with a complex network, many sensors need to be attached. Therefore, this system is suitable for installation in general water pipes, supplying water to a large area in a district, ward, factory… “In fact, many units have now set up sensor systems. Variables mounted on the pipeline network to manage water supply data, therefore, the software developed by the team can be applied immediately if allowed by water management agencies,” Dr. Phong said.