Frequency- and Time-Domain Analysis of a Simple Pipeline System

Pipelines are commonly used for the transportation of water and many chemical products. Steady-state models are widely used to design pipelines as well as in the leak detection and localization methods. However, pipelines operations are inherently transient in their nature, which suggests the need for application of dynamic models. In this paper a mathematical model of a simple pipeline system is considered. Pipeline frequency and time responses are determined and presented in the form of two- and three-dimensional plots, taking into account spatially distributed nature of the process. Owing to the transcendental form of the obtained pipeline transfer function, these responses reveal certain peculiarities, closely associated with wave phenomena taking place inside the pipe.