A comparison of fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing to traditional methods of evaluating groundwater inflow to streams

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1277-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin A. Briggs ◽  
Laura K. Lautz ◽  
Jeffrey M. McKenzie
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Groundwater Inflow

Investigating Taylor’s frozen turbulence hypothesis in the surface layer at an ideal desert field site using fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainer Hilland ◽  
Andreas Christen ◽  
Roland Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Sonic Anemometer ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Field Investigation ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Temperature Fields ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Plan View ◽  
Wide Range

<p>Taylor’s frozen turbulence hypothesis is the most critical assumption through which time-resolving sensors may be used to derive statistics of the turbulent spatial field. Namely, it relates temporal autocorrelation to spatial correlation via the mean wind speed and is invoked in almost all boundary layer field work. Nevertheless, the conditions and scales over which Taylor’s hypothesis is valid remain poorly understood in the atmospheric boundary layer.</p> <p>As part of the Namib Turbulence Experiment (NamTEX) campaign in March 2020, a pseudo-3D fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) array was installed within a 300 x 300 m area in the Namib desert. The array is X-shaped in plan view and contains 16 measurement heights from 0.45 m to 2.85 m. Fibre-optic sensing provides air temperature measurements at unprecedented spatio-temporal density (0.25 m horizontally, 0.17 m vertically, and 1 Hz) and was coupled with a vertical array of traditional sonic anemometer point measurements to investigate the relationship between spatial and temporal temperature fields. The Namib provides an ideal location for fundamental boundary layer research: homogenous flat surfaces, no vegetation, little moisture, strong solar forcing, regular and repeated clear-sky conditions, and a wide range of atmospheric stabilities.</p> <p>Using the NamTEX DTS array we present the first field investigation of Taylor’s hypothesis that considers boundary layer stability and is independent of wind direction. A novel method of 2d horizontal cross-correlation between all possible points of a single height of the DTS is employed to produce spatial ‘maps’ of the turbulent flow, whose velocity, direction, and size may be tracked through time.</p>

scholarly journals Investigating patterns and controls of groundwater up-welling in a lowland river by combining Fibre-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing with observations of vertical hydraulic gradients

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1775-1792 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Krause ◽  
T. Blume ◽  
N. J. Cassidy
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Exchange ◽  
Structural Heterogeneity ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Lowland River ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Hydraulic Gradients ◽  
Cold Spots

Abstract. This paper investigates the patterns and controls of aquifer–river exchange in a fast-flowing lowland river by the conjunctive use of streambed temperature anomalies identified with Fibre-optic Distributed Temperature Sensing (FO-DTS) and observations of vertical hydraulic gradients (VHG). FO-DTS temperature traces along this lowland river reach reveal discrete patterns with "cold spots" indicating groundwater up-welling. In contrast to previous studies using FO-DTS for investigation of groundwater–surface water exchange, the fibre-optic cable in this study was buried in the streambed sediments, ensuring clear signals despite fast flow and high discharges. During the observed summer baseflow period, streambed temperatures in groundwater up-welling locations were found to be up to 1.5 °C lower than ambient streambed temperatures. Due to the high river flows, the cold spots were sharp and distinctly localized without measurable impact on down-stream surface water temperature. VHG patterns along the stream reach were highly variable in space, revealing strong differences even at small scales. VHG patterns alone are indicators of both, structural heterogeneity of the stream bed as well as of the spatial heterogeneity of the groundwater–surface water exchange fluxes and are thus not conclusive in their interpretation. However, in combination with the high spatial resolution FO-DTS data we were able to separate these two influences and clearly identify locations of enhanced exchange, while also obtaining information on the complex small-scale streambed transmissivity patterns responsible for the very discrete exchange patterns. The validation of the combined VHG and FO-DTS approach provides an effective strategy for analysing drivers and controls of groundwater–surface water exchange, with implications for the quantification of biogeochemical cycling and contaminant transport at aquifer–river interfaces.

scholarly journals Suitability of fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing for revealing mixing processes and higher-order moments at the forest–air interface

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 2409-2427
Author(s):  
Olli Peltola ◽  
Karl Lapo ◽  
Ilkka Martinkauppi ◽  
Ewan O'Connor ◽  
Christoph K. Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Temperature ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Turbulence Statistics ◽  
Mixing Processes ◽  
Noise Component ◽  
Roughness Elements ◽  
Sonic Anemometers ◽  
Canopy Flows

Abstract. The suitability of a fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technique for observing atmospheric mixing profiles within and above a forest was quantified, and these profiles were analysed. The spatially continuous observations were made at a 125 m tall mast in a boreal pine forest. Airflows near forest canopies diverge from typical boundary layer flows due to the influence of roughness elements (i.e. trees) on the flow. Ideally, these complex flows should be studied with spatially continuous measurements, yet such measurements are not feasible with conventional micrometeorological measurements with, for example, sonic anemometers. Hence, the suitability of DTS measurements for studying canopy flows was assessed. The DTS measurements were able to discern continuous profiles of turbulent fluctuations and mean values of air temperature along the mast, providing information about mixing processes (e.g. canopy eddies and evolution of inversion layers at night) and up to third-order turbulence statistics across the forest–atmosphere interface. Turbulence measurements with 3D sonic anemometers and Doppler lidar at the site were also utilised in this analysis. The continuous profiles for turbulence statistics were in line with prior studies made at wind tunnels and large eddy simulations for canopy flows. The DTS measurements contained a significant noise component which was, however, quantified, and its effect on turbulence statistics was accounted for. Underestimation of air temperature fluctuations at high frequencies caused 20 %–30 % underestimation of temperature variance at typical flow conditions. Despite these limitations, the DTS measurements should prove useful also in other studies concentrating on flows near roughness elements and/or non-stationary periods, since the measurements revealed spatio-temporal patterns of the flow which were not possible to be discerned from single point measurements fixed in space.

scholarly journals Monitoring the Hydraulic Performance of Sewers Using Fibre Optic Distributed Temperature Sensing

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 2451
Author(s):  
Cedric Kechavarzi ◽  
Philip Keenan ◽  
Xiaomin Xu ◽  
Yi Rui
Keyword(s):  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Treatment Plant ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Water Treatment Plant ◽  
Hydraulic Performance ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Water Flow Velocity ◽  
Sewer Network

The hydraulic performance of sewers is a major public concern in industrialised countries. In this study, fibre optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) is used to monitor the discharge of wastewater for three months to assess the performance of a long underground foul sewer in a village in the UK. DTS cables were installed in the invert of sewer pipes to obtain distributed temperature change data along the sewer network. DTS generates a series of two-dimensional data sets (temperature against distance) that can be visualised in waterfall plots to help identify anomalies. The spatial and temperature resolutions are 2 m and 0.2–0.3 °C, respectively. The monitoring data clearly identify high-temperature plumes, which represent the flow of household wastewater in the sewer. Based on the analysis of the waterfall plots, it is found that the flow velocity is about 0.14 m/s under normal conditions. When continuous moderate rain or heavy rain occurs, water backs up from the water treatment plant to upstream distances of up to 400 m and the water flow velocity in the sewer decreases sharply to about 0.03 m/s, which demonstrates the ability of the DTS to localise anomalies in the sewer network.

Monitoring sediment coverage from Distributed Temperature Sensing measurements in the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manos Pefkos ◽  
Pieter Doornenbal ◽  
Arjan Wijdeveld ◽  
Ebi Meshkati Shahmirzadi ◽  
Pauline Kruiver
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Water Phase ◽  
Horizontal Distance ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Fourier Amplitude ◽  
River Bank ◽  
Water And Sediment ◽  
Sediment Interface

<p>Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) measurements were conducted in the Port of Rotterdam as part of the INTERREG NWE SURICATES project. In the Port of Rotterdam a program is running to retain sediments in the harbor for river bank protection, and to lower the costs of transferring sediment from the port to the offshore dump locations. The aim of the DTS monitoring is to find spatial patterns in sediment deposition and erosion and thus determining the sediment balance before, during and after re-allocation. Fibre optic cables were installed in two layouts. Two fibre optic cables of lengths 1.2km and 750m were laid out flat parallel and perpendicular to the shore and they passively recorded temperature. Another cable was wrapped helically on a vertical pole condensing 150 m of length into 0.77m, increasing the spatial resolution. This cable was used for passive measurements and active heating experiments. The acquired data span the period from May to September 2019.</p><p>The active heating experiments showed that the water-sediment interface along the pole can be tracked from the difference in response between the time when the heating cable is switched on and off. The pole’s passive temperature analysis indicates that signals from the water phase exhibit high variability with time, whereas those from the sediment phase have low variability. Frequency domain analysis of the water phase shows clear peaks in the Fourier Amplitude Spectrum (FAS) at one day and half-day cycles, with the half-day cycle peak having the highest magnitude. The same peaks are present in the sediment phase’s FAS, but their magnitudes are about an order of magnitude lower.</p><p>The Fourier amplitude at frequencies corresponding to half-day periods was used for classification of the phases along the pole. The interface between water and sediment is defined as the maximum in the derivative of the Fourier amplitude with height. The interface’s height and thus the occurrence of erosion or deposition was tracked over time. The analysis shows that the sediment interface varied around 5cm over a period of 2.5 months between two dredging actions.</p><p>Representative signals from the Fourier amplitude at half-day cycles from the pole were used to derive sediment coverage over the flat passive cables. However, further research is required to establish the minimum horizontal distance over which coverage can be established.</p><p>We conclude that, by comparing the spectral properties of the temperature signal of water and sediment phases, sediment coverage over fibre optic cables can be monitored with DTS measurements. The finest time and spatial resolution over which this coverage can be found remains to be decided and can be the subject of future work.</p>

scholarly journals A distributed heat pulse sensor network for thermo-hydraulic monitoring of the soil subsurface

2020 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinna Abesser ◽  
Francesco Ciocca ◽  
John Findlay ◽  
David Hannah ◽  
Philip Blaen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Temperature Response ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Content Type

Fibre optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) is used increasingly for environmental monitoring and subsurface characterization. Combined with heating of metal elements embedded within the fibre optic cable, the temperature response of the soil provides valuable information from which soil parameters such as thermal conductivity and soil moisture can be derived at high spatial and temporal resolution, and over long distances.We present a novel active distributed temperature sensing (A-DTS) system and its application to characterize spatial and temporal dynamics in soil thermal conductivity along a recently forested hillslope in Central England, UK. Compared with conventional techniques (needle probe surveys), A-DTS provided values with a similar spread although lower on average. The larger number of measurement points that A-DTS provides at higher spatial and temporal resolutions and the ability to repeat surveys under different meteorological or hydrological conditions allow for a more detailed examination of the spatial and temporal variability of thermal conductivities at the study site. Although system deployment time and costs are higher than with needle probes, A-DTS can be extremely appealing for applications requiring long-term monitoring, at high temporal repeatability, over long (kilometres) distances and with minimum soil disturbance, compared with one-off spatial surveys.Thematic collection: This article is part of the Measurement and monitoring collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/measurement-and-monitoring

Fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing in combined sewer systems

2009 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 1127-1134 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. S. Schilperoort ◽  
F. H. L. R. Clemens
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Sewer System ◽  
Sewer Systems ◽  
Combined Sewer ◽  
Combined Sewer System ◽  
Fibre Optic Cable ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Single Instrument

This paper introduces the application of fibre-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) in combined sewer systems. The DTS-technique uses a fibre-optic cable that is inserted into a combined sewer system in combination with a laser instrument that performs measurements and logs the data. The DTS-technique allows monitoring in-sewer temperatures with dense spatial and temporal resolutions. The installation of a fibre-optic cable in a combined sewer system has proven feasible. The use of a single instrument in an easy accessible and safe location that can simultaneously monitor up to several hundreds of monitoring locations makes the DTS set-up easy in use and nearly free of maintenance. Temperature data from a one-week monitoring campaign in an 1,850 m combined sewer system shows the level of detail with which in-sewer processes that affect wastewater temperatures can be studied. Individual discharges from house-connections can be tracked in time and space. With a dedicated cable configuration the confluence of wastewater flows can be observed with a potential to derive the relative contributions of contributary flows to a total flow. Also, the inflow and in-sewer propagation of stormwater can be monitored.

scholarly journals Laboratory-scale assessment of a capillary barrier using fibre optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS)

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 115-126
Author(s):  
Robert Wu ◽  
Vincent Martin ◽  
Jeffrey McKenzie ◽  
Stefan Broda ◽  
Bruno Bussière ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Content ◽  
Mine Waste ◽  
Volumetric Water Content ◽  
Temperature Sensing ◽  
Waste Rock ◽  
Coefficient Of Determination ◽  
Fibre Optic ◽  
Distributed Temperature Sensing ◽  
Capillary Barrier ◽  
Infiltration Test

Recent waste rock pile designs have been proposed to incorporate a fine-grained layer to create a capillary barrier to prevent surface water from draining into the pile interior. This study analyses active fibre optic distributed temperature sensing (FO-DTS) as a tool to measure the effectiveness a capillary barrier system following an infiltration test. A laboratory waste rock column was built with anorthosite waste rock overlain by sand. Volumetric water content is calculated during heat cycles lasting 15 min powered at 15 W/m in the column. A new algorithm is employed to circumvent several requirements for soil specific calibration. The inferred moisture contents were verified by soil moisture probes located adjacent to the cable. The FO-DTS data indicate, at vertical resolutions up to 2 cm, that water is retained in the sand and does not drain into the anorthosite following the infiltration test. The coefficient of determination, R2, between the inferred and measured volumetric water content in the fine cover sand layer is 0.90, while the screened anorthosite maintained an R2 of 0.94 with constant moisture content throughout the test. This study will ultimately help guide future waste rock storage design initiatives incorporating fibre optic sensors, leading to improved environmental mine waste management.

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