Analysis of seepage in a laboratory scaled model using passive optical fiber distributed temperature sensor

Ghafoori, Yaser (author), Maček, Matej (author), Vidmar, Andrej (author), Říha, Jaromir (author), Kryžanowski, Andrej (author)

Seepage is the key factor in the safety of dikes and earth-fill dams. It is crucial to identify and localize the seepage excesses at the early stages before it initiates the internal erosion process in the structure. A proper seepage monitoring system should ensure a continuous and wide area seepage measurement. Here, continuous monitoring of seepage at the laboratory-scale is achieved by a passive optical fiber Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) system. An experimental model was designed which consists of initially unsaturated sand model, water supply, seepage outflow, optical fiber DTS system, and water and air temperature measurement. Initially, the sand temperature was higher than the temperature of the seepage water. An optical fiber DTS system was employed with a high-temperature resolution, short sampling intervals and short time intervals for temperature monitoring in the sand model. In the system, the small variation in the temperature due to groundwater flow was detected. The numerical analysis was conducted for both the seepage process and the heat transfer progression in the sand model. The results of the heat flow simulation were evaluated and compared with the measured temperature by the optical fiber DTS. Obvious temperature reduction was obtained due to seepage propagation in the sand. The rate of temperature reduction was observed to be dependent on the seepage flow velocity.

• Language: English
• Keywords: seepage, optical fiber DTS, temperature, saturation, flow velocity, hydrotecnics
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 2, art. 367
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-128466
• UDC: 532:626/627
• ISSN on article: 2073-4441
• DOI: 10.3390/w12020367
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18390531
• Publication date in RUL: 14.07.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Water
• Shortened title: Water
• Publisher: Molecular Diversity Preservation International - MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-4441
• COBISS.SI-ID: 36731653

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 01.02.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: precejanje, temperatura, nasičenost, hitrost toka, hidrotehnika

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0180
• Name: Vodarstvo in geotehnika: orodja in metode za analize in simulacije procesov ter razvoj tehnologij