An experimental study on monitoring the phreatic line of an embankment dam based on temperature detection by OFDR

In this study, temperature detection with distributed fibers was used to obtain data for a laboratory model of seepage heat in an embankment dam, and the temperature was monitored using optical frequency domain reflection (OFDR) technology with high temporal and spatial accuracies. First, the temperature field in the infiltrated region of the dam body during the seepage test showed changes similar to that measured by OFDR temperature-sensing fibers. Then the heat transfer characteristics analysis within the embankment dam during seepage was conducted using numerical simulations of heat-flow coupling. Finally, temperature distribution characteristics during steady-state seepage for different water levels were measured, and the relationship between the temperature curve and the phreatic line was obtained. The results demonstrate that accurate temperature detection by OFDR and its high spatial resolution can reflect the characteristics of the temperature field in the seepage model of an embankment dam.

Automated summary

In this study, temperature detection using OFDR technology was utilized to monitor the seepage heat model in an embankment dam. The results showed that accurate temperature measurement and high spatial resolution of OFDR can reflect the temperature field characteristics in the seepage model effectively.