Fiber bragg grating temperature sensors used to measure flow in a pipeline

This paper shows the feasibility of using fiber optic sensors to measure flow in pipelines. The technique consists of measuring the temperature variation on the external surface of a pipeline, with known dimensions, when a hot fluid traverses the system. The time evolution of the temperature between the measurement points can be related to the velocity or flow in the pipeline. In order to measure temperature, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors and thermocouples are used. The experimental data is compared to data obtained with the mathematical modeling of the heat transfer in the pipeline.