192 research outputs found
Wavenumber prediction and measurement of axisymmetric waves in buried fluid-filled pipes: inclusion of shear coupling at a lubricated pipe/soil interface
No full textAcoustic methods have been widely used to detect water leaks in buried fluid-filled pipes, and these technologies also have the potential to locate buried pipes and cables. Relatively predictable for metal pipes, there is considerably more uncertainty with plastic pipes, as the wave propagation behaviour becomes highly coupled between the pipe wall, the contained fluid and surrounding medium. Based on the fully three-dimensional effect of the surrounding soil, pipe equations for n=0 axisymmetric wave motion are derived for a buried, fluid-filled pipe. The characteristics of propagation and attenuation are analysed for two n=0 waves, the s=1 wave and s=2 wave, which correspond to a predominantly fluid-borne wave and a compressional wave predominantly in the shell, respectively. At the pipe/soil interface, two extreme cases may be considered in order to investigate the effects of shear coupling: the “slip” condition representing lubricated contact; and the “no slip” condition representing compact contact. Here, the “slip” case is considered, for which, at low frequencies, analytical expressions can be derived for the two wavenumbers, corresponding to the s=1 and s=2 waves. These are both then compared with the situations in which there is no surrounding soil and in which the pipe is surrounded by fluid only, which cannot support shear. It is found that the predominant effect of shear at the pipe/soil interface is to add stiffness along with damping due to radiation. For the fluid-dominated wave, this causes the wavespeed to increase and increases the wave attenuation. For the shell-dominated wave there is little effect on the wavespeed but a marked increase in wave attenuation. Comparison with experimental measurements confirms the theoretical finding
An unavoidable modulation? Sensory attention and human primary motor cortex excitability
No full textThe link between basic physiology and its modulation by cognitive states, such as attention, is poorly understood. A significant association becomes apparent when patients with movement disorders describe experiences with changing their attention focus and the fundamental effect that this has on their motor symptoms. Moreover, frequently used mental strategies for treating such patients, e.g. with task-specific dystonia, widely lack laboratory-based knowledge about physiological mechanisms. In this largely unexplored field, we looked at how the locus of attention, when it changed between internal (locus hand) and external (visual target), influenced excitability in the primary motor cortex (M1) in healthy humans. Intriguingly, both internal and external attention had the capacity to change M1 excitability. Both led to a reduced stimulation-induced GABA-related inhibition and a change in motor evoked potential size, i.e. an overall increased M1 excitability. These previously unreported findings indicated: (i) that cognitive state differentially interacted with M1 physiology, (ii) that our view of distraction (attention locus shifted towards external or distant location), which is used as a prevention or management strategy for use-dependent motor disorders, is too simple and currently unsupported for clinical application, and (iii) the physiological state reached through attention modulation represents an alternative explanation for frequently reported electrophysiology findings in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as an aberrant inhibition
Axisymmetric fluid-dominated wave in fluid-filled plastic pipes: Loading effects of surrounding elastic medium
No full textAxisymmetric (n = 0) waves that propagate at low frequencies are of practical interest in the application of acoustic techniques for the detection of leaks in fluid-filled pipelines. A general expression for the fluid-dominated (s = 1) wavenumber is presented in a thin-walled fluid-filled pipe surrounded by an elastic medium. In this paper the analysis is extended to investigate the loading effects of surrounding medium on the low-frequency propagation characteristics of the s = 1 wave. The analytical model is subsequently applied to MDPE water pipes surrounding by three media, namely an air, water and soil. It is used to demonstrate explicitly the loading effects of surrounding medium, acting as a combination of mass, stiffness and radiation damping on the s = 1 wavenumber. Good agreement is achieved between the measurements and predictions. The theory with experimental validations provides the basis for improving acoustic leak detection methods in fluid-filled pipe systems
Wavenumber prediction of waves in buried pipes for water leak detection
No full textWater leaks are a topic of great concern in Britain and many other countries, because of decreasing water supplies and the deterioration of old pipework. Correlation techniques are widely used in leak detection, but for these to be effective, the propagation wavespeeds and wave attenuation must be known. Relatively predictable for metal pipes, these are largely unknown for the newer plastic pipes, being highly dependent on the pipe wall properties and the surrounding medium. In this paper, pipe equations for n=0 axisymmetric wave motion are derived for a fluid-filled pipe, surrounded by an infinite elastic medium which can support both longitudinal and shear waves. These equations are solved for two wave types,s =1,2, which correspond to a fluid dominated wave and an axial shell wave, and expressions for a complex wavenumber for each wave are given
Remote pipeline assessment and condition monitoring using low-frequency axisymmetric waves: a theoretical study of torsional wave motion
No full textWaves that propagate at low frequencies in buried pipes are of considerable interest in a variety of practical scenarios, for example leak detection, remote pipe detection, and pipeline condition assessment and monitoring. Particularly useful are the n=0, or axisymmetric, modes in which there is no displacement (or pressure) variation over the pipe cross section. Previous work has focused on two of the three axisymmetric wavetypes that can propagate: the s=1, fluid-dominated wave; and the s=2, shell-dominated wave. In this paper, the third axisymmetric wavetype, the s=0 torsional wave, is studied. Whilst there is a large body of research devoted to the study of torsional waves and their use for defect detection in pipes at ultrasonic frequencies, little is known about their behaviour and possible exploitation at lower frequencies. Here, a low-frequency analytical dispersion relationship is derived for the torsional wavenumber for a buried pipe from which both the wavespeed and wave attenuation can be obtained. How the torsional waves subsequently radiate to the ground surface is then investigated, with analytical expressions being presented for the ground surface displacement above the pipe resulting from torsional wave motion within the pipe wall. Example results are presented and, finally, how such waves might be exploited in practice is discussed
Site assessment of multiple sensor approaches for buried utility detection
No full textThe successful operation and maintenance of buried infrastructure within urban environments is fundamental to the conservation of modern living standards. Breakdown in supply of utilities is quickly noticed and requires a swift response to repair the network. Open-cut methods are predominantly used, in preference to trenchless technology, to effect a repair, or replace or install a new section of the network. This is, in part, due to the inability to determine the position of all utilities below the carriageway, making open-cut methods desirable in terms of dealing with uncertainty since the buried infrastructure is progressively exposed during excavation. However, open cut methods damage the carriageway and disrupt society’s functions. This paper describes the progress of a research project that aims to develop a multi-sensor geophysical platform that can improve the probability of complete detection of the infrastructure buried beneath the carriageway. The multi-sensor platform is being developed in conjunction with a knowledge-based system that aims to provide information on how the properties of the ground might affect the sensing technologies being deployed. The fusion of data sources (sensor data and utilities record data) is also being researched to maximise the probability of location. The project has reached a stage where the majority of the sensing technologies being developed for the multi-sensor device have undergone initial testing on site and this has shown some interesting findings. This paper describes the outcome of the initial phase of testing along with the development of the knowledge-based system and the fusing of data to produce utility map
Adaptive motion processing in bilateral vestibular failure
No full textBackground Patients with bilateral vestibular failure (BVF) suffer from oscillopsia during head movements. This is secondary to the loss of the vestibulo-ocular reflex which is responsible for stabilising retinal images during head movements of high frequency or velocity. Previous studies documented decreased visual motion sensitivity in such patients at low velocities. The authors now examine motion coherence tasks, which have two advantages: (1) the task is associated with the functions of the middle temporal area; and (2) it affords testing at low and high motion velocities, as relevant for patients with oscillopsia due to BVF.
Methods Nine BVF patients and nine healthy control subjects were examined with a random dot pattern with variable percentages of dots moving in the target direction. Participants were asked to indicate in which of two possible directions they perceived the coherent motion. Horizontal and vertical planes were tested at speeds from 0.156 to 40 degrees/s.
Results Motion coherence thresholds were lower at higher speeds in both groups (p<0.0001). BVF patients had raised motion coherence thresholds (p=0.002) across all velocities as compared with the control subject group.
Conclusion In a motion coherence paradigm, BVF patients show raised thresholds. This is the first demonstration of diminished visual motion processing at high velocities, supporting the view that the changes allow BVF patients to partly compensate for the oscillopsia. The findings are interpreted as an adaptive process likely to involve the middle temporal visual motion processing areas
Simplified dispersion relationships for fluid-dominated axisymmetric wave motion in buried fluid-filled pipes
No full textThe dispersion characteristics of axisymmetric (n=0) waves offer a way to gain physical insight into the low-frequency vibrational behaviour of underground pipe systems. Whilst these can be found in the literature, they are generally calculated numerically. Coupled equations of motion for the n=0 waves that propagate in a buried fluid-filled pipe are presented in this paper and, from this, an analytical solution is developed for the fluid-dominated (s=1) wavenumber. The effect of the frictional stress at the pipe-soil interface on the dispersion behaviour of the s=1 wave is characterized by adopting a soil loading matrix. Overall, the fluid loading has a greater effect on the propagation wavespeed compared with the soil loading: for metal pipes, the effect of soil loading is negligible; for plastic pipes, however, simply neglecting the effect of soil loading can lead to a considerable underestimation in the calculation of the wavespeed. The wave attenuation increases significantly at higher frequencies regardless of pipe material resulting from the added damping due to radiation into the soil. Theoretical predictions of the s=1 wavenumber are compared with experimental data measured on an MDPE water pipe. The degree of agreement between prediction and experiment makes clear that, although the wavespeed is only slightly affected by the presence of the frictional stress, the frictional stress at the pipe-soil interface needs to be appropriately taken into account for attenuation predictions
An analytical model of ground surface vibration due to axisymmetric wave motion in buried fluid-filled pipes
No full textThe axisymmetric (n=0) fluid-borne (s=1) wave has been exploited with varying degrees of success in practical surveys for determining the location of buried pipes. Difficulties are sometimes encountered in interpreting ground surface vibration data, whilst attempting to locate the pipes, due to the occurrence of abrupt changes in the phase response over the usable frequency range. Based on a wave propagation model developed recently, this paper presents an analytical model for predicting the ground surface displacements resulting from the radiated elastic waves in the soil medium. Two representative soils have been specifically considered, where the s=1 wave in the pipe will leak shear waves into the soil, but may or may not leak compressional waves. In each of these cases, numerical simulations are presented to predict the ground surface displacements. The model is used to demonstrate how, when both compressional and shear waves are radiated, they can interfere such that abrupt phase changes occur at the frequencies coincident with magnitude minima in the ground surface displacements; when only shear waves are radiated, such interference does not occur. Furthermore, for sandy soil, it is found that the horizontal displacement is dominated by the radiated shear wavenumber component whereas the vertical displacement is controlled by the radiated compressional wavenumber component. Using the analytical model, theoretical predictions of ground surface displacements are compared with experimental data from a dedicated MDPE pipe rig
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