Distributed optical fiber-based theoretical and empirical methods monitoring hydraulic engineering subjected to seepage velocity

• DTS-based system is designed to identify seepage behavior in hydraulic engineering.
• DTS-based theoretical model is built to monitor seepage velocity.
• DTS-based empirical approach is proposed to observe seepage velocity.

In order to systematically investigate the general principle and method of monitoring seepage velocity in the hydraulic engineering, the theoretical analysis and physical experiment were implemented based on distributed fiber-optic temperature sensing (DTS) technology. During the coupling influence analyses between seepage field and temperature field in the embankment dam or dike engineering, a simplified model was constructed to describe the coupling relationship of two fields. Different arrangement schemes of optical fiber and measuring approaches of temperature were applied on the model. The inversion analysis idea was further used. The theoretical method of monitoring seepage velocity in the hydraulic engineering was finally proposed. A new concept, namely the effective thermal conductivity, was proposed referring to the thermal conductivity coefficient in the transient hot-wire method. The influence of heat conduction and seepage could be well reflected by this new concept, which was proved to be a potential approach to develop an empirical method monitoring seepage velocity in the hydraulic engineering.