Microwave acoustic sensors as an efficient means to monitor water infrastructures

The paper presents preliminary results obtained during an experimental activity carried out to evaluate the applicability of wireless sensor networks in underground water pipes. For this purpose, a wireless sensor, connected to a dedicated acoustic interface, was waterproofed, to allow its insertion within pipes filled with water. The microwave components were designed to optimize the transmission towards the ground surface, while the form of the radome was chosen to avoid unwanted rotations of the antenna, and consequently link degradations. The introduced technological solution was experimentally validated In a controlled scenario, an ldquoad-hocrdquo wireless sensor network was designed and tested, performing analyses on water pipes of different dimensions at a varying depths in the ground, down to 2.5 meters. Results show excellent performance and reliability.