The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) will split $200,000 in prize money following completion of phase 1 of its Imperfection Detection Challenge among five submissions.
The purpose of the competition is to find new tools for non-destructively evaluating the condition of fiber-reinforced polymer composite structures, according to a Bureau press release.
"Composite structures are increasingly used in constructing pipelines, tanks and other infrastructure," David Raff, chief engineer, said. "We are encouraged by the projects submitted and look forward to further development in the next phase of the prize competition."
The top five submissions included Utilizing Space Tech to Detect FRP Damage on Earth from Brownsville, Texas; Low-Terahertz Imaging Radar from the Netherlands; Ultrasonic SH waves imaging FRP structures from Columbia, Maryland; Applied Impact Robotics, Inc from Sterling, Virginia; and Augmented reality system for low-THz inspection from Romania, the release states.
"The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is the largest provider of water and the second-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States," the competition website states. "Reclamation’s infrastructure uses all major civil engineering material classes, including steel, concrete, plastics, and composites, to achieve the performance, and service life needed."
Over the next 10 months, the five phase 1 winners will work to develop a prototype for their proposed methods, according to the release. Up to three of the five will receive $10,000 each at the end of phase 2 and move on to phase 3.
"In phase 3, finalists deliver their prototypes to be evaluated by Reclamation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and affiliated partners," the release states. "The winner of this phase receives $50,000."
In addition to the five phase 1 winners, UAX GO from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, and Multi-modal Ultrasonic Device (MUD) from England received honorable mentions for their proposed solutions, according to the release.
The competition is co-sponsored by the Corps of Engineers, Clemson Composites Center, Jesse Garant Metrology Center and Thompson Pipe Group (TPG), the competition website states. The sponsors assist with technical assistance, fabrication of pieces, and other support.
