Fibre Optic Tools to support Distributed Fibre Optic Sensing of Groundwater Flow in Boreholes

分布式光纤传感是一项令人兴奋的表征地下水流动的新技术，其真正的潜力直到最近才被发现。分布式温度传感可用于识别钻孔中的天然地下水流动，分布式声学传感可用于地震测量，以帮助识别基岩含水层内的结构。这些数据集结合在一起，对于描绘基岩环境中的地下水流动具有难以置信的强大功能，这是预测具有重大经济和健康影响的污染物运输和命运的一个组成部分。使用这些技术的初步研究结果非常有希望，我们的研究小组已经进行了大量投资，购买了分布式温度传感器单元，并在钻孔网络中进行了研究。迄今为止，这种传感器和井眼群在推动科学发展方面发挥了至关重要的作用；然而，该研究小组并不拥有拼接光纤电缆、测试电缆性能和接头或其他各种光纤相关任务所需的基本光纤工具。此外，最初的现场试验确定需要一种不同类型的电缆设计，而该大学没有这种设计。由于我们没有所需的电缆或设备来处理电缆，进一步的研究潜力有限，目前的研究生正在经历重大延误。本提案中确定的工具和设备不仅可以促进研究进展，而且可以为我们的研究小组提供在使用光纤电缆时完全自给自足所需的标准工具。

Distributed fibre optic sensing is an exciting new technique for characterizing groundwater flow, and its true potential has only recently been identified. Distributed temperature sensing can be used to identify natural groundwater flow in boreholes, and distributed acoustic sensing can be used for seismic surveying to help identify structures within the bedrock aquifer. Together these datasets are incredibly powerful for characterizing groundwater flow in bedrock environments which is an integral part of predicting contaminant transport and fate which has significant economic and health impacts. Initial research results using these technologies has been tremendously promising and significant investments have been made by our research group to purchase a distributed temperature sensor unit and in drilling a network of boreholes to conduct the research. This sensor and borehole cluster have been critical in advancing the science to date; however, the research group does not own the basic fibre optic tools required to splice fibre optic cables, test the performance and splices in the cables, or various other fibre optic related tasks. Also, initial field trials identified the need for a different type of cable design that the university does not own. As we do not have the required cables or equipment to work with the cables, further research potential is limited and current graduate students are experiencing significant delays. The tools and equipment identified in this proposal would not only allow the research advance, but would supply our research group with the standard tools needed to be fully self-sufficient at working with fibre optic cables.