An experimental study of a high temperature distributed optical fiber sensor based on Raman Optical-Time-Domain-Reflectometry (ROTDR) (up to 450 °C) and optical fibers with different coatings (polyimide/carbon, copper, aluminum and gold) is presented. Analysis of the distributed temperature sensor (DTS) measurements determined the most appropriate optical fiber to be used in high temperature industrial environment over long periods of time. To demonstrate the feasibility of this DTS for an industrial application, an optical cable was designed with the appropriate optical fiber and it was hermetically sealed to provide the required mechanical resistance and isolate the fiber from environmental degradations. This cable was used to measure temperature up to 360 °C of an industrial furnace during 7 days.

Comparative Experimental Study of a High-Temperature Raman-Based Distributed Optical Fiber Sensor with Different Special Fibers.

Abstract Raman distributed optical fiber sensing has been demonstrated to be a mature and versatile scheme that presents great flexibility and effectivity for the distributed temperature measurement of a wide range of engineering applications over other established techniques. The past decades have witnessed its rapid development and extensive applicability ranging from scientific researches to industrial manufacturing. However, there are four theoretical or technical bottlenecks in traditional Raman distributed optical fiber sensing: (i) The difference in the Raman optical attenuation, a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the system and the fixed error of the Raman demodulation equation restrict the temperature measurement accuracy of the system. {ii) The sensing distance and spatial resolution cannot be reconciled. (iii) There is a contradiction between the SNR and measurement time of the system. (iv) Raman distributed optical fiber sensing cannot perform dual-parameter detection. Based on the above theoretical and technical bottlenecks, advances in performance enhancements and typical applications of Raman distributed optical fiber sensing are reviewed in this paper. Integration of this optical system technology with knowledge based, that is, demodulation technology etc. can further the performance and accuracy of these systems. 

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Physics and applications of Raman distributed optical fiber sensing

Stable evaluation of Green's functions in cylindrically stratified regions with uniaxial anisotropic layers

Seepage flow through embankment dams and their sub-base is a crucial safety concern that can initiate internal erosion of the structure. The thermometric method of seepage monitoring employs the study of heat transfer characteristics in the soils, as the temperature distribution in earth-filled structures can be influenced by the presence of seepage. Thus, continuous temperature measurements can allow detection of seepage flows. With the recent advances in optical fiber temperature sensor technology, accurate and fast temperature measurements, with relatively high spatial resolution, have been made possible using optical fiber distributed temperature sensors (DTSs). As with any sensor system, to obtain a precise temperature, the DTS measurements need to be calibrated. DTS systems automatically calibrate the measurements using an internal thermometer and reference section. Additionally, manual calibration techniques have been developed which are discussed in this paper. The temperature data do not provide any direct information about the seepage, and this requires further processing and analysis. Several methods have been developed to interpret the temperature data for the localization of the seepage and in some cases to estimate the seepage quantity. An efficient DTS application in seepage monitoring strongly depends on the following factors: installation approach, calibration technique, along with temperature data interpretation and post-processing. This paper reviews the different techniques for calibration of DTS measurements as well as the methods of interpretation of the temperature data.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/19/5696/pdf

A Review of Measurement Calibration and Interpretation for Seepage Monitoring by Optical Fiber Distributed Temperature Sensors

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The Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) profiles obtained during well completion of a CO2 monitoring well were analyzed to characterize each well completion process in terms of temperature anomalies. Before analysis, we corrected the depth by redistributing the discrepancy, and then explored three temperature calibration methods. Consequently, we confirmed the depth discrepancy could be well corrected with conventional error redistribution techniques. Among three temperature calibration methods, the conventional method shows the best results. However, pointwise methods using heat coil or in-well divers also showed reliable accuracy, which allows them to be alternatives when the conventional method is not affordable. The DTS data revealed that each well completion processes can be characterized by their own distinctive temperature anomaly patterns. During gravel packing, the sand progression was monitorable with clear step-like temperature change due to the thermal bridge effect of sand. The DTS data during the cementing operation, also, clearly showed the progression up of the cement slurry and the exothermic reaction associated with curing of cement. During gas lift operations, we could observe the effect of casing transition as well as typical highly oscillating thermal response to gas lifting.

Distributed Temperature Sensing Monitoring of Well Completion Processes in a CO2 Geological Storage Demonstration Site

Resistivity logging instruments are designed to measure the electrical resistivity of a formation, and this can be directly interpreted to provide a water-saturation profile. However, resistivity logs are sensitive to borehole and shoulder- bed effects, which often result in misinterpretation of the results. These effects are emphasised more in the presence of tool eccentricity. For precise interpretation of short- and long-normal logging measurements in the presence of tool eccentricity, we simulate and analyse eccentricity effects by combining the use of a Fourier series expansion in a new system of coordinates with a 2D goal-oriented high-order self-adaptive hp finite-element refinement strategy, where h denotes the element size and p the polynomial order of approximation within each element. The algorithm automatically performs local mesh refinement to construct an optimal grid for the problem under consideration. In addition, the proper combination of h and p refinements produces highly accurate simulations even in the presence of high electrical resistivity contrasts. Numerical results demonstrate that our algorithm provides highly accurate and reliable simulation results. Eccentricity effects are more noticeable when the borehole is large or resistive, or when the formation is highly conductive.

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Simulation of eccentricity effects on short- and long-normal logging measurements using a Fourier-hp-finite-element method*

The intensity-based fiber optic sensor (FOS) head using twisted dual-cycle bending loss is proposed and experimentally demonstrate. The bending loss characteristics depend on the steel wire radius, number, and distance. To determine the effects of these parameters, two samples in each of seven configuration cases of the proposed FOS head were bonded to fiber reinforced plastics coupons, and tensile and flexural strain tests were repeated five times for each coupon. The bending loss of the manufactured FOS heads was measured and converted to the tensile and flexural strain as a function of configuration cases. The measurement range, sensitivity, and average measurement errors of the tensile load and flexural strain were 4.5 kN and 1,760 μe, 0.70 to 3.99 dB/kN and 0.930 to 6.554 dB/mm, and 57.7 N, and 42.6 μe, respectively. The sensing range of FOS head were 82 to 138 mm according to configuration cases. These results indicate that it is possible to measure load, tensile strain, and flexural strain using the proposed FOS head, and demonstrate that the sensitivities, the operating ranges, and the sensing range can be adjusted depending on the deformation characteristics of the measurement target.

Twisted Dual-Cycle Fiber Optic Bending Loss Characteristics for Strain Measurement.

Fiber optic sensors are gradually replacing electrical sensors in geotechnical applications owing to their immunity to electrical interference, durability, and cost-effectiveness. However, additional protective measures are required to prevent loss of functionality due to damage to the sensors, cables, or connection parts (splices and/or connectors) during installation and completion processes in borehole applications. We introduce two cases of installing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) strain sensors in 1 km boreholes to monitor the behavior of deep subsurface faults. We present our fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) forming schemes to protect sensors and splices. We also present uniaxial load test and post-completion monitoring results for assessing the effects and performance of the protective measures. The uniaxial load test and post-completion monitoring show that FBG sensors are well protected by FRP forming without significant impact on sensor performance itself and that they are successfully installed in deep boreholes. In addition to summarizing our learning from experiences, we also suggest several points for consideration to improve the applicability of FBG sensors in borehole environment of the geotechnical field.

https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/21/15/5170/pdf

Changhyun Lee

Papers

Distributed Temperature Sensing Monitoring of Well Completion Processes in a CO2 Geological Storage Demonstration Site

Simulation of eccentricity effects on short- and long-normal logging measurements using a Fourier-hp-finite-element method*

Twisted Dual-Cycle Fiber Optic Bending Loss Characteristics for Strain Measurement.

Protection and Installation of FBG Strain Sensor in Deep Boreholes for Subsurface Faults Behavior Monitoring.

Fault mapping using a generalized image point transform of three dimensional reverse VSP data