Abstract
We show how a distributed borehole flowmeter can be created from armored Fiber Optic cables with the Active-Distributed Temperature Sensing (A-DTS) method. The principle is that in a flowing fluid, the difference in temperature between a heated and unheated cable is a function of the fluid velocity. We outline the physical basis of the methodology and report on the deployment of a prototype A-DTS flowmeter in a fractured rock aquifer. With this design, an increase in flow velocity from 0.01 to 0.3 m s−1 elicited a 2.5°C cooling effect. It is envisaged that with further development this method will have applications where point measurements of borehole vertical flow do not fully capture combined spatiotemporal dynamics.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3706–3713 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Water Resources Research |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 5 |
Early online date | 6 May 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2014 |
Keywords
- A-DTS
- borehole
- flowmeter
- heated
- fiber optics