AWWA JAW66305

Transient test-based campaigns for leak detection in pipe systems are attractive because they are quick and inexpensive. When dealing with real pipe systems, frequent challenges occur stemming from the poor availability of suitable contact points and valves for generating transient tests. Key concerns involve accessibility of contact points and device maneuverability. Thus, there is a need for a portable and easy-to-use device that does not entail overly sophisticated support instrumentation beyond that required for registering the pressure signal. This research examines a portable pressure wavemaker (PPWM) device that has been refined and tested at the water engineering laboratory in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Perugia, Italy. The authors discuss how the PPWM works, the best way to arrange it to execute transient tests in order to have a good-quality pressure signal, and the amplitude of the produced pressure wave for given device conditions and pipe characteristics. Includes 27 references, table, figures.