didier ilunga project manager - esi africa

DIDIER ILUNGAProject ManagerRand WaterSouth Africa

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SMARTBALL LEAK DETECTION TECHNOLOGY FOR LARGE DIAMETER PRESSURISED

PIPELINES

(Case Studies B1 Rand Water Pipeline &Cape Town Voelvlei Pipeline)

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� SmartBall is a latest and innovative leak detection system from Pure Technologies.

� It’s a Free-Swimming Leak Detection SystemIt’s a non-interruptive leak detection system.

� SmartBall consists of a foam ball with an instrumented aluminium core capable of detecting very small acoustic events in pipeline

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Steps to perform the SmartBall survey• Presite review

• Installation of SmartBall tracking sensors

• Installation of extraction net

• Insertion of the SmartBall

• Progress of the SmartBall Inside the pipeline

• Retrieval of the ball at the end of the survey

• Analysis data and report

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Fig1:SmartBall and the foam ball

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• Fig 2:SmartBall Instrument

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• Fig 3:Existing opening point

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Insertion Stark

Fig 4:Insertion of the SmartBall

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How can SmartBall locate leaks?

Fig 5:Principle of the SmartBall

1-Insertion2-3-Ball rolls in the pipe and records noise4-Extraction

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Acoustic energy Principle

• When pressurised water leaks from a pipe, it creates a distinctive acoustic signal that travels through the water flowing in the pipeline.

• The SmartBall identifies the resulting sound created by the release of pressure when it passes directly the leak.

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SmartBall Tracking Device: SmartBall Receiver (SBR)

-Every 3 seconds the SmartBall emits and ultra-sonic chirp

-The sound travels through the pipe

-The SBR detects how long the chirp takes to arrive, determines approximate distance to the SmartBall

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SmartBall Tracking the progress of the Ball

Real time tracking of SmartBall’s position in pipe up to 1200 meters away

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SmartBall Retrieval: NetCollapsible net inserted through Valve

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SmartBall Retrieval: Net assisted by Camera

Real time video of the Ball entering the extraction net

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SmartBall Data Acquisition:

Analysis of the Data

-Identify leaks using “Leak Indication Power ”

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Case studies B1Pipeline

• B1 Rand Water pipeline is a 1370mm steel

pipeline with lead caulked joints laid in 1964.• It transmits water from starts from Zuikerbosh

pumping station to Zwartkoppies station.

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A section of 5km of the B1 pipeline was inspected for leaks using the SmartBall leak detection system

from Water hammer tower in Buscillias to BoltonWold on Donald Street.

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Results of the survey

• A total of Seventeen leak locations were identified by the SmartBall technology.

• Fourteen leaks were on the joints and 3 inside chamber.

• All these leaks were repaired by Rand Water.

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LEAK LOCATIONS Phase 1: Distance surveyed 2500m

Leak number Distance from insertion (m) Description

1 617 Small

2 637 Medium

3 738 In the chamber Medium

4 2405 Large

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LEAK LOCATIONS Phase 2: Distance surveyed 5000m

Leak number Distance from insertion Description

1 643 Medium

2 804 Medium

3 922 Medium

4 947 Medium

5 990 Medium

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1514

1700

Medium

In chamber

8 1776 Medium

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1819

2495

Medium

Small

11 2782 Medium

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LEAK LOCATIONS Phase 2: Distance surveyed 5000M

Leak number Distance from insertion Description

12 2959 Large

13 3352 Medium

14 3788 Medium

15 3832 Medium

16 4177 Large

17 4308 Medium

18 4567 Medium

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EXCAVATION RESULTS

Fig 7a: Exposed Leak on B1 Pipeline (6 0’clock)

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Fig 8:Exposed Leak on the B1 Pipeline(12 0’clock)

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Fig 10:Exposed Leak on the B1 Pipeline(5 0’clock)

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Case studies 2: Voelvlei Pipeline

• Voelvlei Pipeline is a 1525mm PCP pipeline that

transmits water from Voelvlei to PlattekloofReservoir in Cape Town.

• A section of 11,5km was inspected,from Conterkloof Road to Plattekloof Road.

• 1 Leak was identified on the joint and repaired by City of Cape Town.

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LEAK LOCATIONS : Distance surveyed 11,500m

Leak number Distance from insertion (m) Description

1 2112,2 Large

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EXCAVATION RESULTS

Fig 13: Exposed Leak on Voevlei Pipeline (12 0’clock)

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SUMMARY/ UNIQUE ADVANTAGES

• High sensitivity to leak noise,

• Accurate leak location(< 1m),• Leak location upon data processing (Usually

next day),• Operate in all kind of pipes under pressure,• Minimum pipe diameter 250mm and above,

• Long survey lengths for a single deployment;(20 km per day at 0.5 m/s flow velocity)for more than 12 hours,

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• Operates through existing openings with site works,

• Requires only two 90mm access ports per survey,

• Proceed through valves, tees, siphon…• Leak size estimation presented in report,

• Leak location presented in report as well as GPS coordinates,

• Comply with water quality standards.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• The SmartBall technology be utilised in South Africa and in Africa to detect leaks on pipelines network in order to repair them and reduce water leakage.

• A leak detection program be designed and implemented by Water companies incorporating the use of the SmartBall.

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THANK YOU