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Distributed fiber optic sensing techniques are suitable for pipeline leakage monitoring owing to their long-distance sensing abilities. In this work, a novel pipeline leakage detection and localization method using a distributed fiber optic sensor is proposed. In contrast to conventional methods, the optical fiber is placed in the fluid inside the pipeline without any constraints. When leakage occurs, the local flow field close to the leakage position is disturbed and the fluid pressure caused by the fluid disturbance leads to optical fiber deformation or vibration. With the help of the phase-sensitive optical time domain reflection technique, the fluid disturbance can be detected over a long distance. This work first analyzed the fluid action on the optical fiber. Then, the effects on the fluid field of the local leakage are obtained through finite element simulations. Finally, the proposed method is demonstrated via a series of laboratory experiments.
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