Case Study: Echologics improves water main leak detection with COMSOL Multiphysics

Echologics speeds leak location analysis with Comsol using 2-sensor acoustic correlation

Echologics, a division of Mueller Canada, Ltd., faced the challenge of accurately locating leaks in buried water mains. Their acoustic leak detection technology relies on precisely knowing the speed of sound within different pipe materials and geometries, a value that is critical for determining a leak's location between two sensors. To improve the accuracy of their products like the LeakFinderST™ and EchoShore®-DX systems, they needed a way to efficiently model complex acoustic behavior and predict the speed of sound across varied pipe networks.

The vendor, Comsol, provided a solution through its multiphysics simulation software. Echologics used COMSOL Multiphysics® to create a computational framework for modeling acoustics in pipes, which was then turned into a custom simulation app using COMSOL Server™. This app allows field engineers to easily input parameters and quickly obtain accurate speed of sound calculations and visualizations without needing deep technical expertise, streamlining the leak detection process and enhancing the reliability of their service.

Echologics