The Ability of a Soil Temperature Gradient-Based Methodology to Detect Leaks from Pipelines in Buried District Heating Channels

We carried out several numerical experiments to analyze how different boundary conditions affect the ability detect small pipeline leaks. Our method is based on determining soil temperature gradient above a buried district heating channel. The equivalent thermal conductivity of wet insulation (λeq) value 0.5 W/(m·K) was used mimic water leakage. To evaluate heat loss through channel cross section, conduction model for pipe insulation, concrete, and soil, while convection considered within following effects were simulate operating conditions: at surface, leakage only from supply or return pipe, height channel, conductivity, diameter. With exception low 0.4 W/(m·K), results showed doubling when compared with no-leakage case. This fact undoubtedly confirms potential method, which particularly suitable leak detection in old pipelines that have priority renovation. A key added this research gradient-based technique found useful most foreseeable DH situations.