Method for locating a leak in a fluid network
First Claim
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1. A computer implemented method for providing expected cost for locating a leak in a fluid network, the method comprising:
- detecting, by a processing device, a leak condition in a flow monitoring zone by the processing device receiving data from a plurality of sensors within a fluid network;
generating, by the processing device, a network trace of the flow monitoring zone, the network trace including data associated with a plurality of valves and a plurality of pipe segments;
identifying, by the processing device, a plurality of sections of the flow monitoring zone in the network trace, wherein the plurality of sections are determined based upon the locations of one or more valves in the flow monitoring zone;
selecting, by the processing device, a step testing procedure from a plurality of step testing procedures based on the identified sections of the flow monitoring zone, the step testing procedure including the identified sections arranged into a decision tree based on the location of valves in the flow monitoring zone, wherein selecting a step testing procedure comprises the processing device;
identifying one or more leaf sections present within the step testing procedure;
computing a probability probloc of a leak being located in the section of the fluid network and computing a cost floc of locating the leak in the section of the fluid network for each leaf section of the flow monitoring zone; and
calculating the sum of the products of probloc and floc for all leaf nodes of the step testing procedure, said sum being the expected cost of locating the leak in the fluid network; and
executing, by the processing device, the step testing procedure based on the expected cost of locating the leak, wherein executing the step testing comprises isolating the identified sections by the processing device remotely shutting a plurality of valves within the flow monitoring zone and determining if a leak is present within the sections based upon data received from a plurality of sensors within a fluid network.
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Abstract
Methods and systems are described for providing cost effective leak detection in a fluid network. Step testing procedures are represented by decision trees and associated expected costs are calculated. Selection of step testing procedures is optimized for low expected cost. The total expected cost rate for a network configuration may be calculated from the rate of leak occurrence and the optimal expected costs associated therewith. Network configuration changes may be recommended by optimizing for total expected cost rate for a fluid network.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for providing expected cost for locating a leak in a fluid network, the method comprising:
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detecting, by a processing device, a leak condition in a flow monitoring zone by the processing device receiving data from a plurality of sensors within a fluid network; generating, by the processing device, a network trace of the flow monitoring zone, the network trace including data associated with a plurality of valves and a plurality of pipe segments; identifying, by the processing device, a plurality of sections of the flow monitoring zone in the network trace, wherein the plurality of sections are determined based upon the locations of one or more valves in the flow monitoring zone; selecting, by the processing device, a step testing procedure from a plurality of step testing procedures based on the identified sections of the flow monitoring zone, the step testing procedure including the identified sections arranged into a decision tree based on the location of valves in the flow monitoring zone, wherein selecting a step testing procedure comprises the processing device; identifying one or more leaf sections present within the step testing procedure; computing a probability probloc of a leak being located in the section of the fluid network and computing a cost floc of locating the leak in the section of the fluid network for each leaf section of the flow monitoring zone; and calculating the sum of the products of probloc and floc for all leaf nodes of the step testing procedure, said sum being the expected cost of locating the leak in the fluid network; and executing, by the processing device, the step testing procedure based on the expected cost of locating the leak, wherein executing the step testing comprises isolating the identified sections by the processing device remotely shutting a plurality of valves within the flow monitoring zone and determining if a leak is present within the sections based upon data received from a plurality of sensors within a fluid network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for providing expected cost for locating a leak in a fluid network, the system comprising:
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a water utility network comprising a plurality of pipes and joints, the water utility network being divided into a plurality of flow monitoring zones; a plurality of sensors located within the water utility network; a processing device executing a water network analysis engine, the processing device operative to; receive sensor data from the plurality of sensors; detect a leak condition in a flow monitoring zone by the processing device receiving the sensor data; generate a network trace of the flow monitoring zone including data associated with a plurality of valves and a plurality of pipe segments; identify a plurality of sections of the flow monitoring zone in the network trace, wherein the plurality of sections are determined based upon the locations of one or more valves in the flow monitoring zone; select a step testing procedure, from a plurality of step testing procedures, based on the identified sections of the flow monitoring zone, the step testing procedure including the identified sections arranged into a decision tree based on the location of valves in the flow monitoring zone, wherein selecting a step testing procedure comprises; identify one or more leaf sections present within the step testing procedure; compute a probability probloc of a leak being located in the section of the fluid network and computing a cost floc of locating the leak in the section of the fluid network for each leaf section of the flow monitoring zone; and calculate the sum of the products of probloc and floc for all leaf nodes of the step testing procedure, said sum being the expected cost of locating the leak in the fluid network; and execute the step testing procedure based on the expected cost of locating the leak, wherein executing the step testing comprises isolating the identified sections by the processing device remotely shutting a plurality of valves within the flow monitoring zone and determining if a leak is present within the sections based upon data received from a plurality of sensors within a fluid network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification