Model-based detection of pipe leakage at joints

Time domain reflectometry (TDR) is widely used for wire failure detection. It transmits a pulse that is reflected at the boundaries of different characteristic impedances. By analyzing the reflected signal, TDR makes it possible to locate the failure. In this study, TDR was used to detect the water leakage at a pipe joint. A wire attached to the pipe surface was soaked by water when a leak occurred, which affected the characteristic impedance of the wet part, resulting in a change in the reflected signal. To infer the leakage from the TDR signal, we first developed a finite difference time domain-based forward model that provided the output of the TDR signal given the configuration of the transmission line. Then, by solving the inverse problem, the locations of the leaks were found.