Spectral analysis of leak detection in a zigzag pipeline: A filter diagonalization method-based algorithm application

Pipeline monitoring plays a key role in many industrial processes and human activities, in particular, for the management of water resources. Spectral analysis response, used for leak detection, is generally based on fast Fourier transform (FFT). The aim of this paper is to develop an alternative method based on filter diagonalization method (FDM), mainly used in nuclear magnetic resonance, in order to overcome limitations of FFT approach. Thanks to its robustness, FDM allows difficulties created by zigzag pipeline, buried water tubes and in general by the presence of noisily boundary conditions to be solved. Moreover, another objective is reached by reducing FFT recovery error for narrow pipelines. An experimental facility has been constructed to show the results of this alternative approach.