Experimental validation of time-reversal technique for defect detection in air-filled pipes using high frequency acoustic waves

Abstract

Pipeline systems are extensively used for the transportation and distribution of the gas, water and petroleum products. The sustainability of the pipelines can be improved by utilizing the transient (acoustic)-based defect detection methods (TBDDM). In these methods, the probing pressure wave is generated in the pipe system, and the measured response is used to identify the defects. In this paper, experiments are performed on the acrylic pipe to study the acoustic wave propagation. The acrylic pipe is filled with air such that rigid pipe assumption is valid. Theoretical predictions applied with time reversal and match-field processing are validated with the experiments for the leak detection in a pipe system. The waveforms of Gaussian-modulated sine wave and Chirp are utilized as the transmitted signals in the frequency range of 1–15 kHz. The experimental results show that time-reversal technique is capable of accurate detection with a good resolution.