Multiple Leakage Function for a Simple Pipeline System

Leakage is responsible for pressure reduction and water loss in water distribution systems. Approaches for detection of leaks, based on the pressure variation impact from the boundary condition of a leakage point, have been explored to calibrate location and leakage quantity. Even through expression in the frequency domain allows precise description of abnormalities along pipeline systems, existing leakage formulations suffer from complexity in the analytical derivation for multiple leakage conditions. This study proposes an alternative method, the multiple leakage function (MLF), for an efficient multiple leakage representation of a reservoir pipeline valve system in the frequency domain. To address unsteady friction impact on a multiple leakage situation, the MLF was used with one‐dimensional and two − dimensional unsteady friction models. Model validation was achieved by comparing impedance frequency responses with those of existing approaches. Strengths associated with the MLF were discussed in terms of model parsimony, computational accuracy, and leak detection capability. Feasibility of the MLF was confirmed for robustness in the leakage implementation sequence and for identification of any single leakage, which is useful in detecting multiple leakages in real systems.