Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and Distributed Temperature & Strain Sensing (DTSS) in a controlled test environment

“Drinking water companies are keen to increase their awareness of the condition of their infrastructure, especially the buried pipes that constitute the distribution network. Various techniques exist to monitor/characterize pipe condition. One method is the usage of optical fibers’ sensitivity to disturbances such as strain, temperature, and pressure changes [1]. The present study aims to explore the possibilities and limitations of deploying these distributed fiber-optic sensing techniques in a controlled test environment.
Drinking water utility Evides wants to perform a pilot study with Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) while considering various aspects: installation (insertion, transmission, maneuverability and removal of the fiber), hygiene (no contamination during the installation), and leak detection capability/reliability (localization and extent of leak as well as false positives/negatives). Potential applications for the utility include long term monitoring of their raw water pipeline as well as early detection of leaking appurtenances in urban environments. Executing such a pilot is challenging in a real pipeline, primarily due to hygienic concerns. As an intermediate step, the pilot was executed in a miniature drinking water distribution network, KWR’s TUBES. Simultaneously, a technology provider was looking for an appropriate pilot to test out their new Distributed Temperature & Strain Sensing (DTSS) technology. From a research perspective, there was a desire to test whether strain sensors can provide added value in detecting stresses caused, for example, by traffic or heavy constructions in the vicinity of pipes (a relevant theme in the presence of urbanization as well as energy transition).”

(Citation: Dash, A., Lanckriet, T., Preciado-Garbayo, J., et.al. – Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and Distributed Temperature & Strain Sensing (DTSS) in a controlled test environment – 19th Computing and Control for the Water Industry Conference, 4-7 September 2023)