Pipeline leak location using ultrasonic flowmeters

A method for fluid leak detection and location in a pipe, comprising:

• successively monitoring changes in fluid flow and sound velocities of fluid at a plurality of locations in the pipe, with pairs of flow meters, each pair comprising a meter controller, wherein each meter controller gathers samples of both sound velocity and fluid flow velocity and records time of each sample;
• receiving, by a master controller, time-stamped fluid flow and sound velocities data from each meter controller of the pairs of flow meters;
• associating changes in monitored fluid flow and sound velocities data gathered by the meter controllers of two adjacent pairs of low meters in two locations along the pipe with a leak event occurring between the two locations, by the master controller coupled to the meter controllers of the pairs of flow meters;
• and
• determining, by the master controller, a location of the leak event by correlating differences in sample time between the two adjacent meter pairs, based upon a shortest time difference upstream and downstream of the leak event, with the changes in the fluid flow and sound velocities data of the two adjacent meter pairs.