Leak discharge and strains in a polyethylene pipe

The dependence of leakage on fluid pressure in pressurized pipes has been investigated by many Authors. The relevance of this specific topic in water supply system management is clear: the efficaciousness of pressure control on leakage reduction is measured by the exponent of the power law relationship linking leak flow and pipe inner pressure. While the classical orifice law assumes that the pressure exponent is equal to 1/2, in literature, several experimental works show that the exponent could be greater than 1/2, for some leak geometries and pipe characteristics. In this paper, results of experimental tests carried out at the Water Engineering Laboratory of the University of Perugia on a polyethylene pipe are shown. To assess whether or not a possible leak area variation due to the pressure can influence the leak discharge, both pressures and strains are measured. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, London.