Long-term effectiveness, low maintenance, reliability, high accuracy and resistance to various mechanical and geochemical impacts are major requirements on monitoring systems considered during the operational phase of a repository. To meet such requirements, fibre optic monitoring systems, remotely controlled over several decades, could be particularly suitable. DBE TECHNOLOGY is thus developing a range of sensor systems based on fibre optic technology as the basis for monitoring systems for underground disposal sites.

Objectives

Up to now, the fibre optic sensing systems developed by DBE TECHNOLOGY have been tested in a sedimentary host rock environment. The main objective of these tests is to develop the technology for installing fibre optic sensors in an engineered barrier material, like bentonite or bentonite-sand mixtures, and to demonstrate the operation of the system under relevant in-situ conditions.

Project leaders / Project Partners