Blockage detection in circular pipe using vibration analysis

Abstract

Pipe is an important medium used in most industrial and home applications for transferring liquid or gas from one end to the other. The efficiency of liquid flow is crucial to ensure proper and efficient delivering of medium carried. Liquid flow may be abrupt or ceased if blockage forms inside the circular pipe. This paper investigates the effect of blockage in circular pipe using vibration measurement. The main focus of this paper is to study the correlation of blockage levels to vibration signal. When fluid flow through an obstacle, the streamlines get closer which will increase the flow velocity and decrease the pressure. The vibration parameters are measured using accelerometer and the relationship between blockage levels to vibration signal are observed. It is found that vibration in pipe increases as the flow area gets smaller. This work expresses the potential of vibration analysis in assessing blockage inside a circular pipe with direct water flow.