Negative-wave-based leakage detection and localization technology has been widely used in the pipeline system to diminish leak loss and enhance environmental protection from hazardous leak events. However, the fluid mechanics behind the negative wave method has yet been disclosed. The objective of this paper is to investigate the generation and propagation of negative wave in high-pressure pipeline leakage. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study on the negative wave was carried out with large eddy simulation (LES) method. Experimentally validated simulation presented the transient wave generation at the leak onset and the comprehensive wave evolution afterwards. Negative wave was proven to be a kind of rarefaction acoustic waves induced by transient mass loss at the onset of leakage. Diffusion due to the density difference at wave fronts drives the negative wave propagation. Propagation of negative wave can be categorized into three states – semi-spherical wave, wave superposition and plane wave, based on different wave forms. The wave characteristics at different states were elucidated and the attenuation effects were discussed respectively. Finally, a non-dimensional correlation was proposed to predict the negative wave amplitude based on pipeline pressure and leak diameter.

基于负波的泄漏检测和定位技术已广泛用于管道系统中，以减少泄漏损失并增强对危险泄漏事件的环境保护。但是，负波方法背后的流体力学尚未公开。本文的目的是研究高压管道泄漏中负波的产生和传播。利用大涡模拟（LES）方法对负波进行三维计算流体动力学（CFD）研究。经过实验验证的模拟显示了泄漏开始时的瞬态波生成以及随后的全面波演化。负波被证明是泄漏发生时瞬时质量损失引起的稀疏声波。由于波前的密度差异而引起的扩散驱动负波传播。负波的传播可以根据不同的波形分为三种状态：半球形波，波叠加和平面波。阐明了不同状态下的波特性，并分别讨论了其衰减效应。最后，提出了一种基于管道压力和泄漏直径的无量纲相关性来预测负波振幅的方法。