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Mobile-distributed seepage monitoring method based on fiber Bragg grating sensing technology

Jiang Chen (College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, and MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)
Junli Zheng (College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)
Feng Xiong (College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, and MOE Key Laboratory of Deep Underground Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China)

Sensor Review

ISSN: 0260-2288

Article publication date: 12 March 2018

Issue publication date: 24 May 2018

101

Abstract

Purpose

The spatial resolution of seepage monitoring methods based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) temperature sensing technology is limited by the distance between measurement points. Improving the spatial resolution for a given number of measurement points is a prerequisite for popularizing this technology in the seepage monitoring of rockfill dams. The purpose of this paper is to address this problem.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a mobile-distributed seepage monitoring method based on the FBG-hydrothermal cycling seepage monitoring system. In this method, the positions of the measurement points are changed by freely dragging the FBG sensing cluster within the inner tube of a dual-tube structure, consisting of an inner polytetrafluoroethylene tube and outer polyethylene of raised temperature resistance heating tube.

Findings

A seepage velocity calibration test was carried out using the improved monitoring system. The results showed that under a constant seepage velocity, the use of the dual-tube structure enables faster cooling, and the cooling rate accelerates with an increase in the diameter of the inner tube. The use of the dual-tube structure can improve the sensitivity of the seepage evaluation index ζv to the seepage velocity. When the inner diameter increases, ζv becomes more sensitive to the seepage velocity.

Originality/value

A mobile-distributed seepage monitoring method based on FBG sensing technology is proposed in which the FBG sensors are not fixed. Instead, the positions of the measurement points are changed to improve the spatial resolution. Meanwhile, the use of the dual-tube structure in the presented monitoring system can improve its sensitivity.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no: 51509174).

Citation

Chen, J., Zheng, J. and Xiong, F. (2018), "Mobile-distributed seepage monitoring method based on fiber Bragg grating sensing technology", Sensor Review, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 345-352. https://doi.org/10.1108/SR-06-2017-0112

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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