A New Pipeline Condition Assessment Method Using a Multicomponent Interferometric Dictionary for Quantification of Pipeline Notches

Abstract

This paper proposes an improved matching pursuit (MP) method with a multicomponent interference dictionary (MCID) based on a pipeline guided wave reflection model. The proposed method separates the overlapped time domain reflections from the notch edges and extracts parameters such as amplitude, time of flight (TOF), and phase to identify the number and axial dimensions of notches in pipes. Firstly, the performance of the method in identifying parameters of overlapped components affected by noise and reverberation under different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and frequencies is analyzed using four error metrics. Secondly, finite-element (FE) models of pipes with a single notch and double notches are established, and the accuracy of the reflection model is validated by comparing the predicted amplitudes, TOF, and phase of reflections with the FE results. Finally, experimental validation is conducted on aluminum pipes with multiple notches. The consistency between the experimental results, theoretical results, and FE results in wave packet parameters confirmed the accuracy of the proposed reflection models. The method accurately captures the parameters of the reflections from each notch edge in the experimental pipes, enabling the identification of the number and axial dimensions of the notches. The method holds the potential for identifying a greater number of notches in pipelines and characterizing their axial dimensions. This can provide a reliable reference for developing maintenance plans based on pipeline operational conditions, thereby preventing major safety incidents.