Data and information communication through piping network

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the ability of using piping networks as a communication channel using power line communication transceivers. Two ways by which a piping network is able to propagate waves are investigated. The first wave propagation method is through the pipe shell. Using structural waves and PZT type transducers, data packets are sent and received through the propagation of structural waves in the pipe shell. However, because of the dispersive behavior of quasi flexural radial waves, the data packets are distorted. The second wave propagation method explored is acoustic waves in the enclosed fluid. The data packets are sent and received along the piping network using three types of hydrophones. The reliability of this method depends mostly on the sensitivity of the hydrophones.