A Novel FBG Placement Optimization Method for Tunnel Monitoring Based on WOA and Deep Q-Network

Abstract

By employing the whale optimization algorithm’s (WOA) capability to reduce the probability of being stuck in a locally optimal solution, this study proposed an improved WOA-DQN algorithm based on the Deep Q-Network algorithm (DQN). Firstly, the mathematical model of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensor placement was established to calculate the reward of DQN. Secondly, the effectiveness and applicability of WOA-DQN were validated through experiments in nine cases. It indicated that the algorithm is far superior to other methods (Noisy DQN, Prioritized DQN, DQN, WOA), especially with the learning rate of 0.001, the initial noise 0.4, the hidden layer 3–512, and the updated frequency of 20. Finally, the FBG sensors were placed at [0°, 27°, 30°, 47°, 51°, 111°, 126°, 219°, 221°, 289°] to detect the accurate deformation of the tunnel with the maximum error 8.66 mm, which is better than the traditional placement. In conclusion, the algorithm provides a theoretical foundation for sensor placement and improves monitoring accuracy. It further shows great promise for deformation monitoring in tunnels.