Localization of continuous gas leaks from a flat-surface structure using an Acoustic Emission sensor array

Leak localization is of great importance for pressurized vessels for reasons of safety and maintenance. This paper presents an experimental study using an Acoustic Emission sensor array coupled with a hyperbolic positioning algorithm for continuous leak localization. The study aims to detect continuous CO
₂
leak from an isotropic flat-surface structure on a pressurized vessel in the Carbon Capture and Storage system. The proposed approach consists of four main stages. In the first stage, empirical mode decomposition is deployed to extract the useful signal from the noise. The second step is concerned with the estimation of the time differences of the sensor array in conjunction with correlation signal processing. The third stage estimates the distance difference between the sensing elements from the measured time differences and wave speed. Finally, a hyperbolic positioning algorithm is used to locate the leak source on the flat-surface structure. Results obtained from experiments on a 100 cm × 100 cm stainless plate demonstrate that the mean full-scale error in the leak localization is 4.9%.