LAUSR

Abstract Based on the reflectometry phenomenon and the behavior of an acoustic signal in a gas pipeline, this work proposes a fault location test for pipelines, which is formally justified for an infinite-dimension model of acoustic wave propagation in a closed conduit with viscous absorption. The test consists of disturbing the medium by an acoustic pulse at one extreme of the pipeline and of registering the transient response at an observation point. In this way, the waveform of the transient response of the pressure allows distinguishing the pattern of a healthy system from a pipeline with diverse faults and to allow locating the position of the damage.