Leak detection in gas pipeline networks using an efficient state estimator. Part II. Experimental and field evaluation

In Part-I of this two part paper, a method is proposed for on-line leak detection and identification in gas pipeline networks using flow and pressure measurements. Simulations on two illustrative networks were used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. In this paper, the performance of the proposed leak detection and identification methodology was evaluated using experiments with compressed air on a laboratory scale network. The on-line applicability of the proposed methodology was demonstrated through field level leak detection tests carried out on a 204.7 km long pipeline in India, supplying natural gas to a power plant. The laboratory and field tests demonstrated that the proposed methodology can be used for quick on-line detection of leaks, and locating the leaks reasonably accurately.