The objectives of the Fiber-Optic Leak-Detection (FOLD) project, carried out in Verneuil-en-Halatte, France, were to assess the capability of fiber-optic sensing to detect a small gaseous leakage on a buried pipe, give guidelines regarding the best deployment positions of the fiber along the pipe, compare the performance of several methodologies, and assess the impact of the fiber-optic length on the detection performance.
Buried Pipe and Nozzle Orifices
The 30-m-long pipe used for the testing campaign was typical of those used for gas transportation. It was made of steel and had an internal diameter of 390 mm. As are many in-service pipelines installed during the last century, it was originally coated with coal-tar enamel. This coating was removed before burying the pipe.
All leakages were simulated from the external surface of the pipe.
