Fault Identification in Pipeline System Using Normalized Hilbert Huang Transform and Automatic Selection of Intrinsic Mode Function

Abstract

Pressure transient analysis has been widely used to monitor the condition of pipelines and its assessment in water distribution systems. This is a low-cost nonintrusive technique with the ability to locate uncertainties (leak, pipe fitting, blockage) at a greater distance from the measurement point. In this research, Normalised Hilbert Huang Transform (NHHT) is used as the method to analyse the pressure transient signal. However, this method has difficulty in selecting the suitable intrinsic mode function (IMF) for the advance data analysing. As an alternative, Integrated Kurtosis-based Algorithm for z-filter Technique (Ikaz), which allows automatic selection of intrinsic mode function (IMF) been used to substitute the NHHT limitation in this study. The analysis is conducted on a 67.9-meter Medium High-Density PolyEthylene (MDPE) pipe installed with single artificial leak simulator at a water pressure in the range of 1-4 bar.