To identify leaks within underground pipes, the industry utilizes acoustic techniques to pick up leak noise signals. A correlation function model was developed and has been successful in determining leakages in pipes. During the development of the correlation method, hydrants act as an access point for measurements to be taken. Sensors are usually placed on hydrants. Recent studies suggest that resonances within pipe systems can have a profound effect on the bandwidth of the measured leak noise, which could heavily affect the efficacy of leak noise correlators. The project therefore hypothesizes that the position of sensor attached affects the efficacy of leak noise correlators. To validate this hypothesis the dynamics of the hydrants need to be studied. This includes the study of its mode shapes, natural frequencies and frequency response from excitations through software analysis. 
 

I decided to undertake this project as my FEEG3003 Individual Project because of the possibility of working in solving a practical problem currently impacting our environment. This project also helped me hone important computer soft skills that will help me in my future engineering career, namely the use of Solidworks and  Ansys Mechanical, with the later being pivotal for the success of this project. This project was also linked closely with environmental organizations that will benefit from the results of this project. The UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) initiative, aims to reduce water leakage in the UK to zero in a sustainable way by 2050. The results from the analysis aims to lay the groundwork for further complicated analysis such as CFD, as well as future guidelines of sensor positioning. Hydrant manufacturers do not take hydrant dynamics into account in their design and manufacturing processes. The results of this project allow manufacturers a better understanding of its dynamics, improving future hydrant design iterations.

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The full project is detailed below:

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