On September 7, 2020, DEAN Technology participated in the Jinan Symposium on District Heating Network Engineering Design, Construction, Renovation and Quality Improvement.

During the event, DEAN Technology's technical team delivered a presentation on the application of fiber optic leak monitoring systems in long-distance district heating networks.

Following the presentation, industry experts and representatives held in-depth technical discussions with the DEAN Technology team on the application of fiber optic monitoring technology to heating pipeline infrastructure. 

Fiber Optic Leak Monitoring for District Heating Pipelines

Long-distance district heating pipelines are critical infrastructure for transporting thermal energy between heat sources and urban heating networks.

As pipeline networks increase in length and complexity, operators need reliable methods to identify abnormal operating conditions and potential pipeline leaks.

Distributed fiber optic pipeline monitoring systems  can provide continuous monitoring along long pipeline routes, helping operators identify abnormal events and determine their locations more efficiently.

Unlike conventional monitoring based solely on discrete measurement points, distributed fiber optic sensing uses optical fiber as a sensing medium along the monitored route, making it particularly suitable for long linear infrastructure such as district heating pipelines.

Technical Exchange on Long-Distance Heating Network Monitoring

During the Jinan symposium, DEAN Technology's presentation focused specifically on the application of fiber optic leak monitoring technology to long-distance district heating networks

The technical exchange provided an opportunity to discuss the practical monitoring requirements associated with heating pipeline infrastructure and the role that fiber optic sensing can play in pipeline safety monitoring.

Depending on the sensing technology and system configuration, distributed fiber optic monitoring can be used to monitor different physical parameters and events along pipeline routes.

These capabilities can support applications such as:

• Pipeline leak monitoring

• Abnormal temperature monitoring

• Vibration and external disturbance detection

• Third-party excavation monitoring

• Pipeline strain and deformation monitoring

• Event localization and early warning

From Technical Discussion to Real-World District Heating Applications

Fiber optic monitoring technologies are particularly relevant to long-distance district heating networks because pipelines may extend for tens of kilometers and pass through different terrain, roads, construction areas and urban environments.

Continuous monitoring can provide operators with additional information about conditions along the pipeline and support more targeted inspection and maintenance when abnormal events are detected.

Different distributed fiber optic sensing technologies are designed for different monitoring objectives. DTS is primarily used for distributed temperature monitoring, DAS for acoustic and vibration events, while Brillouin-based sensing technologies such as BOTDA can be used for distributed strain and temperature monitoring.

Selecting the appropriate technology therefore depends on the specific risks, monitoring objectives and operating conditions of each heating pipeline project.

Continued Experience in District Heating Pipeline Monitoring

DEAN Technology's participation in the 2020 Jinan symposium demonstrates the company's early involvement in technical discussions surrounding fiber optic monitoring for long-distance district heating networks.

Since then, DEAN Technology has continued to apply fiber optic sensing technologies to district heating pipeline projects, supporting the monitoring of long-distance heating infrastructure and related pipeline safety risks.