Method of sensing leak point

Abstract

The method according to the present invention is a method for detecting a leakage point occurring in a water pipe, and the method comprises a step (S100) of comparing frequency components of a previously stored leakage signal and a currently detected leakage signal, and a step (S200) of calculating the leakage location by calculating the difference in arrival times and the separation distance of a first and second vibration sound wave when the currently detected leakage signal is a signal caused by leakage.

Description

Technology Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a leak location detection method capable of detecting a leak signal from a leak sound wave transmitted from a pipe and, when a leak signal is determined, rapidly calculating the leak location. Background Technology

[0003] Drinking water is supplied from the water source to households through pipes. Since these pipes are buried underground, it is difficult to detect whether a leak has occurred and to locate its position if one happens.

[0004] Methods for detecting pipe leaks include acoustic detection and correlation detection. In the acoustic detection method, an administrator determines the presence of a leak based on sound transmitted from the pipes. The correlation detection method determines the location of a leak by utilizing the difference in sound speeds detected by sensors installed at spaced intervals.

[0005] Leak detection can be determined solely based on sound characteristics. Sounds transmitted from pipes can include everyday noises from vehicles and even the sounds of water usage by consumers. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the presence of a leak based solely on sound waves transmitted from the pipes.

[0006] If a leak occurs in the piping, the amount of leakage increases over time, and subsidence of the surrounding ground where the pipe is buried may occur. The location of the leak must be detected in the early stages, and the pipe must be replaced promptly. Prior art literature

[0008] Published Patent Application No. 10-2023-0174903, Leakage Sensor Module Registered Patent Application No. 10-2319722, Method and Device for Estimating Leakage Location in Piping Published Patent Application No. 10-2010-0014046, Water Supply Dispensing and Supply Pipe Leakage Suspected Section Detector and Leakage Suspected Section Detection System The problem to be solved

[0009] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a leak detection method for detecting vibrational sound waves transmitted from a water pipe and detecting a signal caused by a leak from the detected vibrational sound waves.

[0010] In addition, the present invention aims to provide a leak detection method capable of accurately calculating the location of a leak from detected leak vibration sound waves.

[0011] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned. Other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below. means of solving the problem

[0013] The method according to the present invention is a method for detecting a leakage point occurring in a water pipe, and the method comprises a step (S100) of comparing frequency components of a previously stored leakage signal and a currently detected leakage signal, and a step (S200) of calculating the leakage location by calculating the difference in arrival times and the separation distance of a first and second vibration sound wave when the currently detected leakage signal is a signal caused by leakage.

[0014] In addition, the previously stored leakage signal may be a leakage signal that is confirmed as a leakage and does not include noise caused by living noise and usage noise.

[0015] In addition, if the value obtained by subtracting the previously stored frequency component from the frequency component of the currently detected leakage signal is a positive value, it can be determined as a leakage. Effects of the invention

[0017] Vibrational sound waves detected by a vibration sensor may contain noise such as living noise and usage noise. In the present invention, noise can be identified and the presence of leakage determined by utilizing a previously confirmed leakage signal, and a more accurate leakage signal can be detected. Brief explanation of the drawing

[0019] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a leak detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a configuration diagram of the leak detection unit of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a leakage location calculation unit according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a management server according to the present invention. Specific details for implementing the invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Components referred to as parts or modules in this specification may be implemented in software or hardware.

[0022] The leak detection device installs a vibration sensor in the water pipe, detects whether a leak exists based on vibration sound waves transmitted from the sensor, and calculates the location of the leak.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a leak detection device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] The leak detection device includes first and second vibration sensors (100, 200) installed respectively at a first point (A) and a second point (B) of a water pipe (PP), and a management server (300) that is connected to the first and second vibration sensors.

[0025] The first vibration sensor (100) and the second vibration sensor (200) are installed at a predetermined distance from the water pipe. The first vibration sensor and the second vibration sensor have the same structure. In the following description, the term "vibration sensor" used alone is used to include the first and second vibration sensors.

[0026] The vibration sensor (100, 200) detects vibration sound waves transmitted from the water pipe. The vibration sound waves may include living noise generated from automobiles and motorcycles, usage sound waves from the use of water facilities installed inside the facility, and leakage sound waves generated due to aging or damage to the pipes.

[0027] Vibrational sound waves transmitted from water pipes may include and be detected leakage sound waves and noise sound waves. In this context, leakage sound waves refer to sound waves caused by the aging or damage of pipes, while noise sound waves refer to sound waves including those caused by daily living noise and water usage.

[0028] Referring to the drawing, if a leak occurs between the first vibration sensor and the second vibration sensor, the leak sound wave generated from the leak point is detected by the first vibration sensor and the second vibration sensor, respectively, along with the noise sound wave.

[0029] At this time, the vibration sound waves detected by the first and second vibration sensors are leakage sound waves containing noise sound waves, and it may be difficult to clearly determine whether leakage has occurred from the detected vibration sound waves. The present invention proposes an apparatus and method for detecting leakage sound waves included in the detected vibration sound waves.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the leak detection unit of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the leak location calculation unit according to the present invention.

[0031] The management server (300) according to the present invention may include a leak detection unit (310) and a leak location calculation unit (320).

[0032] The above leak detection unit (310) detects a leak signal from vibration sound waves transmitted from the first and second vibration sensors, and the above leak location calculation unit (320) calculates the leak location based on the leak signal.

[0033] The above leak detection unit (310) may include a leak signal recording module (311), a leak signal acquisition module (312), and a signal component comparison module (313).

[0034] The leak signal recording module (311) records the frequency components of the leak signal. The leak signal is a leak signal that has been previously collected and identified as a leak, and the frequency components may be the frequency and magnitude of the leak signal identified as a leak. The frequency and magnitude may be components obtained by performing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the leak signal.

[0035] The frequency component of the leak signal recorded above may be a leak signal from which noise sound waves have been removed. The frequency component of the leak signal is used as reference data to determine the currently detected leak signal.

[0036] The above leakage signal acquisition module (312) acquires the currently detected leakage signal from the first and second vibration sensors. The leakage signal acquisition module performs an FFT transformation on the currently detected leakage signal and converts it into individual spectrum components. The converted signal components may be frequencies and frequencies.

[0037] The above signal component comparison module (313) compares the frequency-specific magnitude of the previously stored leakage signal with the frequency-specific magnitude of the currently detected leakage signal.

[0038] The signal component comparison module calculates the frequency-specific magnitude of the previously stored leakage signal from the frequency-specific magnitude of the currently detected leakage signal. If the calculated comparison value is positive (+), the currently detected leakage signal is determined to be a leakage signal containing noise; if the calculated comparison value is negative (-), it is determined to be noise rather than a leakage signal.

[0039] As one embodiment, the comparison target for the magnitude by frequency may be performed by comparing peak frequencies by predetermined band. The peak frequency may be set to 5 Hz to 10 Hz.

[0040] If, based on the comparison results, it is determined that the currently detected vibration sound wave contains a leakage signal, the location of the leakage is calculated based on the time difference of the vibration sound wave and the distance of the vibration sensor.

[0041] The above leak location calculation unit (320) may be configured to include a sensor location recording module (321), a time difference calculation module (322), and a leak point calculation module (323).

[0042] The sensor location recording module (321) records the distance between the vibration sensors. In an embodiment, the sensor location recording module may record the distance between the first vibration sensor (100) and the second vibration sensor (200). The distance may be defined as the length of the water pipes marked on the map.

[0043] The time difference calculation module (322) calculates the time difference in arrival of vibration sound waves detected from the first vibration sensor and the second vibration sensor. Vibration sound waves generated from a leak point are detected by the first vibration sensor and the second vibration sensor. At this time, if the distance between the leak point and the first vibration sensor and the distance between the leak point and the second vibration sensor are the same, the vibration sound waves can be detected by the first and second vibration sensors simultaneously. Conversely, if there is a difference between the distance between the leak point and the first vibration sensor and the distance between the leak point and the second vibration sensor, they are detected with a time difference.

[0044] The time difference calculation module synchronizes the time of the first vibration sound wave transmitted from the first vibration sensor and the second vibration sound wave transmitted from the second vibration sensor. Subsequently, it calculates the difference in arrival time between the time-synchronized first vibration sound wave and the second vibration sound wave.

[0045] The above leakage point calculation module (323) can calculate the leakage location based on the difference in arrival times of vibration sound waves detected from the first and second vibration sensors and the distance between the first and second vibration sensors. In one embodiment, the leakage location can be calculated using a cross-correlation method.

[0046] The operation of the management server configured as described above will be explained in detail below.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of a management server according to the present invention.

[0048] A leak detection method by a management server includes a step (S100) of comparing the frequency components of a leak signal that has been stored and confirmed as a leak with a currently detected leak signal, and a step (S200) of calculating the leak location by calculating the difference in arrival times and the separation distance of the first and second vibration sound waves when the currently detected leak signal is a signal caused by a leak.

[0049] 1. A step of comparing the frequency components of a leak signal that has been stored and confirmed as a leak with a leak signal that is currently detected (S100);

[0050] This step is performed in the leak detection unit. First, the currently detected vibrational sound wave is subjected to a Fast Fourier Transform to obtain a leak signal. Subsequently, frequency components included in the leak signal are obtained. The frequency components may be frequencies and magnitudes for each frequency.

[0051] Next, the frequency component of the currently detected leak signal is compared with the frequency component of the previously stored leak signal confirmed as leak, and if the frequency magnitude of the previously stored leak signal confirmed as leak is a positive (+) value compared to the frequency magnitude of the currently detected leak signal, it is determined that the currently detected vibration sound wave contains a signal caused by a leak.

[0052] 2. If the currently detected leakage signal is a signal caused by leakage, a step of calculating the leakage location by calculating the difference in arrival times of the first and second vibration sound waves and the separation distance (S200);

[0053] This step is performed in the leak location calculation unit. The calculation of the leak location is performed using a cross-correlation method. The leak location can be calculated based on the time difference in which the vibration sound waves reach the first vibration sensor and the second vibration sensor, and the distance between the first vibration sensor unit and the second vibration sensor.

[0054] The above leakage location is calculated as follows.

[0055]

[0056] Here, D is the length of the water pipe, c is the propagation speed of the vibrating sound wave in the water pipe, and Δt is the time difference of arrival. d1 is the distance between the first point and the leakage point, d2 is the distance between the leakage point and the second point, and the sum of d1 and d2 is equal to D.

[0057] Vibrational sound waves detected by a vibration sensor may contain noise such as living noise and usage noise. In the present invention, noise can be identified and the presence of leakage determined by utilizing a previously confirmed leakage signal, and a more accurate leakage signal can be detected.

[0059] Although the present invention has been described in detail through specific embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention. Explanation of the symbols

[0061] 100: First vibration sensor 200 : Second vibration sensor 300 : Management Server 310 : Leakage detection unit 311: Leakage signal recording module 312: Leakage signal acquisition module 313: Signal component comparison module 320 : Leakage Location Calculation Unit 321 : Sensor position recording module 322 : Time difference calculation module 323 : Leakage point calculation module PP: Water pipe

Claims

Claim 1 A method for detecting a leak point occurring in a water pipe, wherein the method comprises: a step (S100) of comparing frequency components of a previously stored leak signal and a currently detected leak signal; and a step (S200) of calculating the leak location by calculating the difference in arrival times and the separation distance of a first and second vibration sound wave when the currently detected leak signal is a signal caused by a leak. Claim 2 A leak location detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that the previously stored leak signal is confirmed as a leak and is a leak signal that does not include noise caused by living noise and usage noise. Claim 3 A leak location detection method according to claim 2, characterized in that a leak is determined when the value obtained by subtracting the previously stored frequency component of the leak signal from the frequency component of the currently detected leak signal is a positive value.

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