InoCrowd Challenge – External Device for Mapping the Internal Velocity and Temperature Profiles of Industrial Water-Tube Steam Boilers

OVERVIEW

The Seeker is looking for innovative external technologies capable of mapping temperature and velocity profiles inside an operating industrial water-tube steam boiler—on both the water/steam side and the flue gas side—without installing internal probes or sensors.

These boilers operate under extremely harsh conditions (up to 400 °C on the water/steam side and up to 1800 °C on the flue gas side). Traditional measurement techniques rely on internal probes placed at isolated points, providing only partial data. The Seeker is seeking a more advanced, non-intrusive solution that can fully characterize internal conditions across an entire section of the boiler.

Awards:
The Seeker will provide:
i. A financial incentive of €7,500, which may be shared among multiple winners.
ii. The opportunity to collaborate directly with the Seeker’s R&D and production teams to bring the solution to implementation.
iii. Potential follow-on collaboration contracts.

Help revolutionize how internal boiler conditions are measured!

Log in or register on the InoCrowd platform to participate. After logging in, click “View Challenge Details” to visit the InoCrowd platform and submit your solution.

This is a Prize Challenge requiring a written proposal. Details on awards, IP rights, and solution handling are available on the InoCrowd challenge page.

Submission Close Date:
Submissions must be received by 30 January 2026 at 23:59 (Portugal Time). Late submissions will not be accepted.

Note: The prize of €7,500 is awarded in Euros.

Challenge link: https://platform.inocrowd.com.pt/challenges/46509?utm_source=Innocentive

ABOUT THE SEEKER

The Seeker is an Engineering and Contracting company, specializing in the development of Energy Systems and Thermal Equipment. The company designs high-performance industrial water-tube boilers and related thermal systems.
 

InoCrowd specializes in generating ideas and solving problems through its interactive open-innovation platform, connecting companies with a global network of experts in science, engineering, and technology.

Eligibility:
Anyone may participate in this Challenge. Additional participation details are available on the challenge page.

THE CHALLENGE

When steam boilers are in operation, engineers cannot directly observe the uniformity of temperature and velocity fields in critical cross-sections. Non-uniform thermal gradients may accelerate degradation and cause premature pipe ruptures, leading to unplanned shutdowns, safety risks, and costly repairs.

The company's current methods only allow single-point measurements using inserted probes, which fail to capture the full spatial distribution of internal variables.

The Seeker needs a fully external, non-intrusive measurement system capable of mapping temperature and velocity contours across an entire plane of the boiler—on both the water/steam side and the flue gas side—while the furnace is operating.

Solution Requirements

Your proposed solution must:

• Operate entirely from outside the boiler, overcoming insulation layers and physical barriers.
• Provide full-section temperature and velocity maps for both fluids (steam/water and flue gas).
• Demonstrate feasibility in high-temperature industrial environments similar to steam boilers.
• Include at least one documented example showing successful measurement of internal temperature and velocity fields in comparable conditions (screenshots, plots, etc., with confidential data removed).
• Be grounded in thermal engineering, boiler systems, or advanced instrumentation expertise.

Solutions will be evaluated based on:

• Accuracy and precision of the measured quantities
• Technical feasibility and safety
• Estimated total implementation cost
• Ease of integration into existing industrial operations

YOUR SUBMISSION

A complete solution should include:

1. A detailed technical description of the proposed method or device.
2. Evidence or case studies demonstrating similar successful measurements.
3. Expected accuracy, resolution, and operational limitations.
4. Cost estimates for prototyping and potential deployment.
5. Any assumptions or operational constraints.
6. IP status (patented, patent pending, proprietary, or public-domain).

Visit the InoCrowd platform to login and create your solution:
https://platform.inocrowd.com.pt/challenges/46509?utm_source=Innocentive

Submissions must be received by 30 January 2026 at 23:59 (Portugal Time).