Continuous leakage detection & condition monitoring for gas, water and hydrogen infrastructures
2M Engineering develops OEM-ready fiber optic sensing platforms for continuous leakage detection and condition-based maintenance of underground and industrial infrastructure. These platforms enable real-time monitoring of pipes, fittings, flanges, and critical components—without electrical sensors in the field and without the need for physical inspection.
Fiber optic sensing provides a unique combination of intrinsic safety, long-range monitoring, and robustness, making it ideally suited for large-scale distribution networks for gas, water, and future hydrogen infrastructures.
A validated reference implementation of this platform is the Smart Fiber Optic Sensor Network, developed by 2M Engineering in collaboration with industrial partners and knowledge institutions within a European “living lab” environment.
Why fiber optic sensing for infrastructure monitoring?
Underground pipeline networks form the backbone of modern society, yet they are difficult to inspect, costly to maintain, and increasingly critical to decarbonisation strategies (e.g. hydrogen transport).
Traditional monitoring approaches suffer from:
- Limited spatial coverage
- Periodic rather than continuous measurements
- Electrical sensors in hazardous zones
- High inspection and excavation costs
Fiber optic sensing overcomes these limitations by turning the infrastructure itself into a sensor.
This project was made possible by a contribution from the European Regional Development Fund as part of OP-Zuid as well as the Provincie Noord-Brabant’. For more information see EFRO.
Platform principle: sensing with light
The fiber optic sensing platform developed by 2M Engineering uses optical fibers—often already present or easily integrated—as distributed or point sensors.
Key sensing principles include:
- Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) for strain, pressure, and temperature
- Optical interrogation units for remote readout
- Passive sensing elements (no power at the measurement point)
Small mechanical, thermal, or chemical effects are translated into measurable wavelength shifts in the optical domain, allowing high-resolution monitoring over long distances.
Integrated into pipes, fittings and components
A core innovation of this platform is the integration of fiber optic sensors directly into industrial components, such as:
- Pipe sections
- Couplings and fittings
- Flanges and sealing interfaces
- Measurement and inspection components
This integration is designed to be compatible with existing industrial production processes, enabling scalable OEM adoption without disruptive redesigns.
Continuous, remote monitoring at network scale
By combining optical fibers, sensor elements, and advanced interrogation systems, the platform enables:
- Continuous monitoring of entire pipeline networks
- Remote access to real-time condition data
- Early detection of leaks, deformation, or degradation
- Exact localisation of anomalies
This supports true condition-based maintenance (CBM) instead of fixed inspection schedules.
Enabling safe hydrogen infrastructure
Hydrogen introduces new challenges compared to natural gas:
- Smaller molecules → higher leakage risk
- Material embrittlement
- Strict safety requirements
Fiber optic sensing is intrinsically suited for hydrogen networks because:
- No electrical signals in hazardous zones
- High sensitivity to mechanical and thermal changes
- Compatibility with long-distance monitoring
This platform directly supports the safe, large-scale distribution of hydrogen in both public and industrial networks.
Added value: from reactive to predictive maintenance
The societal and economic impact of this platform lies in enabling predictive infrastructure management:
- Reduced water, gas, and hydrogen losses
- Lower maintenance and excavation costs
- Shorter downtime and faster fault localisation
- Improved safety for people and environment
- Better asset lifetime management
Leaks and degradation can be detected early—before incidents occur.
Living lab validation & ecosystem approach
The fiber optic sensing platform has been developed and validated in a living lab setting, where technology development, industrial integration, and field validation take place simultaneously.
This approach accelerates:
- Technology readiness
- OEM integration
- Business model development
- Knowledge transfer across domains
OEM platform & business models
2M Engineering supports OEM partners with:
- Fiber optic sensor concept development
- Mechanical and photonic integration
- Interrogation and readout system design
- Data interpretation & condition monitoring logic
- Industrialisation and transfer to production
Resulting business models include:
- Supply of sensor hardware
- Sensor-integrated components (pipes, fittings, couplings)
- Monitoring and CBM services
- IP licensing and technology valorisation
Typical application domains
- Gas and water distribution networks
- Hydrogen infrastructure
- Process industry installations with hazardous gases
- Underground and hard-to-reach assets
- Next-generation telecom fiber networks (dual use of fiber assets)
Partners & knowledge ecosystem
This platform is developed in collaboration with:
- 2M Engineering – system architecture, sensor integration, OEM development
- Prince Kunststof Infra
- FOCE Technology International
- ITIS B.V.
- SMART Photonics
- Delmeco Green Vision
- Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
- Fontys Applied Natural Sciences
The project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRO / OP-Zuid) and the Province of Noord-Brabant.
Interested in fiber optic sensing for your infrastructure?
The Smart Fiber Optic Sensing Platform is a reference implementation of how optical sensing can transform infrastructure monitoring. 2M Engineering works with OEMs, utilities, and system integrators to develop custom fiber optic sensing solutions tailored to specific assets, environments, and regulatory frameworks.
→ Contact 2M Engineering to explore fiber optic sensing platforms