Quick and Easy Closure System for Pipe Repair Collars

OVERVIEW

A2A Ciclo Idrico, the Seeker for this Wazoku Crowd Challenge, and their partner CoRe (Composite Research) are searching for innovative closure systems of pipe repair clamps, for quick and easy installation under tough site conditions.

Current approaches are effective but challenging: operators must work around the leak and with very little clearance, manipulating pipe repair collars with one hand and while centering the pipe damage with the other, finally tightening and sealing the breach.

The goal for Solvers is to develop an innovative system that meets or enhances the mechanical performance requirements of the pipe repair collar or clamp, at a cost of <€30, providing greater ease of use for operators and the ability to be scaled. Proposed solutions must also be free from patent restrictions. Solvers are asked to provide detailed descriptions of the solution’s functionality (how it exceeds current approaches in effectiveness, cost, and ease of use for the operator), a how-to for use by operators, construction drawings, descriptions of component sizes, and the production details for a potential series run of 1,000-10,000 units.

This Challenge has an award of $30,000 available for solutions that meet the must-have requirements.

Your IP Rights are protected in this Prize Challenge; A2A must award you to obtain them.

The best solution has the opportunity to win the award of $30,000 for meeting all must have solution requirements. This Challenge requires a written proposal to be submitted and Awards will be contingent upon the theoretical evaluation of the proposal by A2A against the Solution Requirements. To receive an Award, Solvers are required to assign exclusive rights to the Intellectual Property (IP) in their proposed solution.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on January 7th, 2025.

 

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ABOUT THE SEEKER & ELIGIBILITY

The A2A Group is the largest Italian multi-utility, at the forefront of territorial services and technological solutions. We design smart and sustainable cities, with respect for the citizens, we are protagonists of energy transition, and we implement the principle of the circular economy in all our activities. With a far-reaching strategic plan, we manage the generation, sale and distribution of electricity and gas, district heating, waste collection and recovery, e-mobility, public lighting, and the integrated water services.

In particular, A2A Ciclo Idrico is a company within the A2A Group that manages the integrated water cycle in Italy. This includes water supply, wastewater treatment, and sewage systems. Their services cover the collection, purification, and distribution of drinking water, as well as the treatment and disposal of wastewater. They focus on ensuring water quality, resource sustainability, and efficient service management in compliance with regulatory standards, contributing to the overall environmental sustainability and well-being of the communities they serve.

 

 

Composite Research (CoRe) is a company founded in 2015 in Turin. Today CoRe is a micro company, has 9 employees and its headquarters are in Italy. Over the years, CoRe has developed and increased its skills and capabilities in the field of materials research and development and R&D services to other companies and third-party customers. Its expertise in the chemical and engineering fields revolves around the world of composite materials, on which CoRe bases its core business and for which it has already received several national and international patents.

Among the products developed by the company, we have the MadFlex, a special composite panel that is extremely rigid and resistant on one side and, if turned on the other side, can even be rolled up. From this basic product other ideas were born, which have become real battlehorses now firmly established on the Italian market. The company is also working hard to reach foreign markets, and it is a goal that aims to achieve in the coming year.

Employees of ­­­­A2A and CoRe are ineligible to receive an award for this Challenge.

Find out more about participation in Wazoku Crowd Challenges.

 

THE CHALLENGE

BACKGROUND

When damaged, water pipelines and delivery systems have to be excavated by operators who identify the affected area ALONG the pipe. There are various commercial solutions to-date: often, a rubber element is applied over the damage/breach, which is then held in place by a flexible stainless-steel band, with a thickness of just a few tenths of a millimeter. To seal the rubber element, operators need to apply enough pressure to create a seal – this is achieved through tensioning the stainless-steel band, using tightening bolts connected at both ends.

This connection between the bolts and the band is made possible through steel profiles or other metallic elements, that distribute the force applied by the tightened bolts evenly on the stainless-steel band. The stainless-steel band of interest is 24 cm wide, and the nominal diameters of the pipes to be repaired for this challenge range approximately from 50 to 125 mm. Each collar model is suitable for repairing pipes with diameters within a range of about 8-10 millimeters (mm) (e.g., there is a collar model suitable for repairing pipes with an external diameter between 78 and 88 mm).

The following image (Figure 1) shows a particularly simple design of the described repair system, representing the starting point of the optimization work, with a side view on the right and an isometric view on the left during application around a pipe where one of the two tightening bolts still needs to be inserted.

Figure 1: Simple design of the described repair system with a clamp placed around a damaged pipe.

Following the rubber element and steel band’s placement, operators must seal the breach by closing the collar. Here is a brief description of the collar-closing process. The collar must be opened to position it around the pipe and then closed: first manually and then tightened with a tool to apply the necessary pressure that will stop the leak at the rubber seal. The closure operation first requires an initial locking of the collar around the pipe (to simplify subsequent centering and tightening operations). It is important to note the space and environmental constrictions, here, as the operator must be using at least one hand to hold the two ends of the collar (assuming these have a shape suitable for being blocked with one hand), another to tighten the bolts with a tool, and the environment where pressurized water coming from the breach and gravity can move the collar even when held by the operator.

The drawing on the right side of Figure 1 highlights how the two profiles and the stainless steel band are connected at one end by the presence of a drop-shaped section cavity in which the profile is inserted (and it can move freely), and at the other end by direct attachment to the profile; in this case, the profile cannot rotate except by rolling the stainless steel band around itself - in this solution, the tension of the stainless steel band produces torsion acting on the profile and a bending moment acting on the bolts, which must be considered in the sizing of the tightening system.

The operator manually closes the clamp with a torque wrench or tool to ensure necessary pressure to seal the breach, but this is especially difficult in excavation conditions: with little space, and the presence of mud and water. This confined environment has challenging conditions for manual tightening of bolts, with room for a single operator only, and constant water leakage from the pipe damage which is removed by water pumps.

To-date, installing the collar on the pipe is achieved with the following operations:

1. Opening the collar by removing any tightening screws present to insert the section of the pipe to be repaired inside it.
2. Performing a preliminary manual closure of the collar around the pipe to re-insert screws and nuts for tightening.
3. Centering the damage to be repaired under the collar, by sliding it over the pipe.
4. Tightening the bolts, generally performed using a torque wrench to tension the stainless-steel band with the desired force and apply the correct pressure on the rubber.
   
   During this operation, the two profiles tend to approach each other by about 1 cm due to the deformation of the various components, particularly the rubber which undergoes compression.

Various market solutions for water pipe repair collars

The following examples are intended for illustrative purposes only, to give Solvers a better understanding of the main problems faced by collar manufacturers.

For instance, the following image (Figure 2) from patent CN202733325 illustrates a system substantially similar to that described in the overview, where nuts are replaced by threading directly made in the profile (thus avoiding the need to hold the nut while the screw is tightened) and the design is made more compact by creating slits in the stainless-steel band. However, this solution does not allow quick closure. Moreover, it would be necessary to verify that the mechanical performance of the threading made in the profile is equivalent to that of the nut threading.

Figure 2: Similar system to Overview’s detail, however using threading. From patent CN202733325.

The next photo (Figure 3) shows the collar used by A2A when conducting pipe repair. This figure shows a collar with a stainless-steel band connected to profiles with a particular conformation that helps correct positioning and allows the transmission of bending moments from one profile to another, preventing the screws from being subject to such load. The tightening system shown in the figure is difficult to produce, requiring metal forming by casting in a mold; moreover, to limit costs, it is made of cast iron with resin coating, resulting in durability and weight problems (making installation difficult). It should be noted that the two cast iron pieces tighten the stainless-steel band, producing a high curvature bend (small radius of curvature); for the sought solution, there is a need to have stainless steel band curvatures not less than 5 mm.

Figure 3: A2A’s currently-used solution for pipe repair closure, a collar with stainless steel band.

The next picture (Figure 4) from patent US4381020A shows a quick closure system where the profiles are made using hollow milled tubes to allow the insertion of a T-head screw: in this way, quick closure of the system is possible. Once the screw head is inserted into the profile, its rotation is also blocked, and it is possible to tighten by screwing the nut. The solution appears interesting, and the patent protection has expired, so its adoption would be possible. However, this solution produces a significant weakening of the profiles; moreover, it requires the need to make fairly large slits in the stainless-steel band, which is preferable to minimize (possibly not wider than the screw diameter). Finally, it would be necessary to verify the availability of T-screws with the mechanical characteristics required by the application.

Figure 4: Quick closure system detailed in patent US4381020A.

The next image (Figure 5) from patent EP3857108A1 shows a solution similar to the previous one but uses conventional screws. The quick closure is performed by sliding an additional sliding element inside a profile with transverse slits that prevent the screws from coming out of the seat. The closure is more complex as it is not possible to slide the sliding element until all screws are correctly positioned. However, this solution cannot be used as it is protected by a patent.

Figure 5: Conventional screw-based system outlines in patent EP3857108A1.

The following image (Figure 6) from patent EP3008370B1 reduces the weakening of the profile by providing an element that ensures quick closure without the need to weaken the profile section by holes. Moreover, it offers the advantage of moving the screw away from the pipe to be repaired: especially for small diameter pipes, the portion of the screw between the two profiles may interfere with the pipe before tightening, thus reducing the diameter range of each collar model. This solution is also patent-protected and therefore not usable.

Figure 6: Cross section from Patent EP3008370B1.

A commercial collar model using a similar solution described by the patent in Figure 6 is the GEBO-UNIFIX model: maxi and mini clamps available, but linked example is the maxi.

The sought solution should present, as much as possible, the strengths of the highlighted solutions without presenting the same weaknesses. Completely different closure systems from those presented are also possible, for example, with tightening carried out by rotating a profile around its longitudinal axis and winding the stainless-steel band around it, thus reducing its length. However, attention must be paid to the system's mechanical strength and economy.

The current market prices of pipe repair collars with A2A’s desired characteristics is around €60-100, depending on the diameter of the pipe – the wider the diameter, the larger the clamp needed and therefore the higher the cost. It is therefore evident to A2A that the production cost of your innovative solution/tightening system or improvement to current pipe repair systems (without patent restrictions) cannot exceed €30.

THE CHALLENGE
 

A2A Ciclo Idrico and CoRe are seeking innovative solutions that better facilitate installation of pipe repair collars by making the process quicker, more simple for operators, and any technologies to achieve the solution more economical to produce at scale. This could be achieved through modifications to the currently-used tightening system (consisting of profiles and bolts in the described solution) approaches, however it must not have patents that would hinder the use of the solution by A2A and its partners.

Solvers’ solutions should achieve the required performance and market opportunities for A2A and CoRe, in order to be awarded.

Performance

1. Guarantee necessary mechanical performance of the collar in sealing a leak from pipe damage;
2. Be able to function properly and with ease when used by a single operator in the small space of collar repair excavations;
3. And provide durability and longevity over time.

Market

1. Be more economical than current approaches (goal production cost of no more than €30);
2. Provide opportunities for scaling and industrializing the solution;
3. and have no patents that hinder the use of the solution by A2A and its partners, subject to A2A’s award for exclusive IP of the solution.

Performance

1. Mechanical Performance and Seal Success

Solver’s systems or modifications must guarantee the structural performance necessary to withstand the high tightening forces, ensuring an overall tension force on the stainless-steel band of around 60-75 kilonewtons (kN). For guidance, example values of bolt tightening moments between 25 and 50 newton-meters (Nm) are provided considering the use of 3 screws and the tension forces acting on each screw can be roughly calculated dividing the overall tension force for the screw number.

Regarding tightening strategies to apply necessary pressure on the profile above the breach, the number of bolts in your solution can be two, three, or even more, however Solvers must take into account that a greater number of bolts to tighten translates into increased installation times and therefore reduced efficiency. On the other hand, the presence of more bolts (at least three) reduces the bending moment acting on the profiles that is produced by the distributed load present between one screw and another – therefore the greater the number of bolts, the lesser the concentrated load of the bolts. Solvers should note, however, that increased number of bolts may mean that pipe repair clamp systems have to be redesigned – so please balance innovation with practicality.

Alternative tightening strategies to bolts can also be proposed: however, your mechanical or practical system/modification must still be allow for adjustments of the collar size based on the diameter of the pipe to be repaired. To-date, the bolt-based systems allow for adjustments within a range of about 10 mm: for example, one collar with bolts could function for repairing pipes with an external diameter between 78 and 88 mm. A2A is only focused on practical or mechanical pipe repair collar solutions: chemical sealants or other approaches will not be possible due to the pipes being repaired often being drinking water pipes.

Your solution should however be compatible with the following dimensions of pipes, bands, profiles, and bolts in order to meet A2A and CoRe requirements:

• Stainless steel band width: 24 cm.
• Pipe nominal diameter: predominantly between 50 and 125 mm (2 inches – 5 inches)
• Profile length: between 24 and 29 cm (they can therefore have a greater lateral size than the stainless-steel band)
• Maximum profile diameter: 35 mm (or roughly equivalent size for non-circular section profiles).
• Minimum radius of curvature induced by the profiles in the stainless-steel band: 5 mm.
• The space occupied by screws or similar systems is not subject to specific limits, but the collar must be installable in the presence of obstacles (e.g., other pipelines) located 10 cm away from the pipe surface to be repaired

2. Function with ease by a single operator

The excavation made for the repair can be accessed only by a single operator often in an uncomfortable position, in an environment where there is freshly-dug earth, water leaking from the pipe damage, and the mud caused by both.

To complete the collar closure operations more effectively, your solution or modification to pipe collar closures must be as simple and quick as possible, considering the existing process where the operator must use at least one hand to hold the collar together, and the other to operate the bolt tightening. Detachable parts that could be lost during the application are not of interest, and an emphasis is placed on the ease of the system by the operator.

Another requirement that your repair system or modifications must meet is size: the section of the pipe to be repaired could be close to obstacles and other underground infrastructures. Your solution should be installable in the presence of obstacles (e.g. other pipes, earth, pumps) located nearby. For this Challenge, the average available space around the pipe to be repaired should be considered a maximum of 10 centimeters (cm).

3. Durability and longevity

Another requirement of your solution or modification is durability over time. Your closure system for pipe repair should have durability of materials and maintain requisite tension force applied to the band that seals the pipe – both now in-application and over time.

Novel pipe closure systems or improvements to current pipe closure operations should not be subject to extreme degradation, creep and plastic deformation over time. Your pipe closure system can have up to 2/3% reduction in tension force applied to the steel band over 20+ years, but should not exceed this limit or be prone to failure due to exposure to the underground environment. Notice that percentage of tension reduction does not take into account the inevitable additional contribution to tension reduction due to the relaxation over time of the rubber element.

For the steel bands used, once the repair is made it must last for decades in the underground environment. To-date, for metallic components, stainless steel or corrosion-treated steels (e.g. galvanized) are generally used. It is desirable that your solution can maintain the tension of the stainless-steel band (and therefore the repair) for 50 years, but it is not essential for your repair/fix of the pipe to be easily removable.

Market

4. Greater cost-effectiveness

Your solution or modification must be more economical than current approaches, with A2A’s goal production cost being no more than €30 per unit at a series of 1,000-10,000 pieces. If you can achieve the requirements with a series production cost per unit of <€20, that would be ideal.

The market price of pipe repair collar systems (including the clamp, steel band, rubber element, screws, and all components) is around €60-100 today.

5. Scale and Industrial Potential

In order to be useful at scale for repairing pipes worldwide, your solution’s design and characteristics should provide opportunities for scaling and industrializing the solution, that could include but are not limited to: use of commercial components, uniform materials, 3D printing opportunities, and modular designs.

6. No patents that hinder the use of the solution

Your solution should not be under your own current patent, or subject to/incorporating elements from unexpired patents, such as those mentioned: EP3008370B1 and EP3857108A1.

A2A’s Challenge will be deemed a success if a solution is developed/proposed that:

• Simplifies and speeds up the installation process of pipe repair collars – currently a process that takes around 10 minutes;
• Ensures strong mechanical performance and durability of the seal/pipe repair over time;
• and is cost-effective, scalable, and free from patent restrictions (subject to A2A’s award).
   

SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS

A2A Ciclo Idrico and CoRe are primarily interested in solutions of closure systems for pipe repair clamps with the potential to meet the following requirements:

Must have:

1. Detailed description of how your solution allows for easier and quicker manual closure of the collar around the pipe, through the connection between the two profiles at the ends of the stainless-steel band.
   • Please compare to current installation methods listed. As an example, current pipe repair closure operations take around 10 minutes.
   • Adjustability is important: your solution must accommodate pipes with external diameters within a 1 cm range (e.g. pipes with diameters between 78 and 88 mm).
2. Detailed description of your solution’s functioning that allows for subsequent tightening and tension application to the band, during which the two profiles must be mechanically brought closer together.
   • At least 60 kN of tension must be applied to the collar.
   • There should be no more than 2-3% tension force reduction, due to closure system degradation, on the pipe repair’s steel band in situ (underground) and over 20 years.
   • Closure and tightening must be possible by a single operator – either manually or with low-cost tools and equipment (currently achieved with a torque wrench).
3. Compatibility with existing dimensions and curvature requirements
   • Stainless steel band width: 24 cm.
   • Pipe nominal diameter: between 50 and 125 mm
   • Profile length: between 24 and 29 cm (therefore a greater lateral size than the band itself).
   • Maximum profile diameter: 35 mm (or a roughly-equivalent size for non-circular section profiles).
   • Minimum radius of curvature induced by the profiles in the stainless-steel band: 5 mm.
   • Space occupied by screws or tightening systems has no specific limit, however Solvers should note the collar must be installable in the constrained excavation environment, with obstacles in every direction at an average of 10 cm away.
4. Please provide detailed construction drawings and component sizing details
5. Series production cost per unit of ideally <€30, given a run of 1,000 to 10,000 units.
   • Please detail the cost per units for a prototype, 1,000 units, and 10,000 units.
   • A2A is considerate of different markets, technologies, and material availabilities so the <€30 Euro cost per unit is a benchmark for Solvers to aim for.
6. Detailed description of production technologies that can be used by A2A and CoRe
7. Patent-free: the proposed solution should provide the Seekers "freedom to practice” or be available for potential licensing, there should be no third party patents or patent applications preventing the use of the proposed solution in commercial applications.

Additionally, your solution could meet the following nice to have criteria:

1. At least 3 connection points between the two profiles (e.g. three bolts) or a continuous connection that does not require drilling of the stainless-steel band (which could compromise tension).
2. Greater cost-effectiveness, with a series production cost (1,000-10,000 pieces) per unit below €20.
3. Use of commercial components (thus facilitating easier prototype and pre-series production) without patent restrictions.

 

Things to Avoid

A2A and CoRe are not interested in the following:

1. Use of detachable parts not connected to the collar that could be lost during application in the environment or that could obstruct closure and tightening operations.
2. Mechanisms that might not work after contamination with soil, dust, mud, water present on-site, especially if difficult to clean/restore in case of malfunction.
3. Non-mechanical and non-practical solutions, e.g. chemical approaches, are not possible due to the pipes often containing drinking water.
4. Systems subject to degradation or plastic deformation over time that significantly alter (beyond 2-3%) the tension force applied to the stainless-steel band over 20 years or that fail due to exposure to the underground environment.
5. Use of solutions subject to active/unexpired patents such as those mentioned in patents EP3008370B1 and EP3857108A1.
6. Systems applicable only to pipes with a fixed external diameter, i.e., it must be possible to apply the repair system to pipes with an external diameter within a range of about 1 cm (e.g., collar applicable to pipes with an external diameter between 78 and 88 mm).

 

Room for Innovation

Solvers are encouraged to be innovative and think outside the box when proposing solutions that can seal the breach in a water pipe (done today by applying enough tension pressure to stainless steel bands) so long as they meet the core requirements of mechanical function and market opportunity.

Your solution could detail novel, innovative methods, improvements to the existing systems detailed, or alternative closure systems from other industries – beyond the commonly-used bolts and steel bands.

 

Solutions with Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 4-6 are invited.

This Prize Challenge has the following features:

1. Your IP Rights are protected; A2A must award you to obtain them.
2. To receive an Award, Solvers are required to assign exclusive rights to the Intellectual Property (IP) in their proposed solution.
3. The best solution has the opportunity to win the award of $30,000 USD for meeting all must have solution requirements, as solely determined by A2A.
4. Awards will be contingent upon the theoretical evaluation of the proposal by A2A against the Solution Requirements.
5. A2A and CoRe may also issue “Honorable Mention” recognitions for notable submissions that are not selected for monetary awards.

 

YOUR SUBMISSION

Please login and register your interest, to complete the submission form.

The submitted proposals must be written in English and can include:

1. Participation type – you will first be asked to inform us how you are participating in this challenge, as a Solver (Individual) or Solver (Organization).
2. Solution Level - the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of your solution.
3. Problem & Opportunity - highlight the innovation in your approach to the Problem, its point of difference, and the specific advantages/benefits this brings (up to 500 words).
4. Solution Overview - detail the features of your solution and how they address the SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS (500 words, there is space to add more in the summary field, and attach supporting data, diagrams, etc.).
5. Solution Feasibility – Supporting Information and Rationale, such as references and precedents, that will help A2A evaluate and validate the feasibility of the solution (up to 500 words).
6. Experience - Expertise, use cases and skills you or your organization have in relation to your proposed solution.  (up to 500 words).
7. Solution Risks - any risks you see with your solution and how you would plan for this (up to 500 words).
8. Timeline, capability and costs - describe what you think is required to deliver the solution, estimated time and cost (up to 500 words).
9. Online References - provide links to any publications, articles or press releases of relevance (up to 500 words).

Wazoku encourages the use by Solvers of AI approaches to help develop their submissions, though any produced solely with generative AI are not of interest.

Find out more about participation in Wazoku Crowd Challenges.

Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 11:59 PM (US Eastern Time) on January 7th, 2025.

Late submissions will not be considered.

Your submission will be evaluated by the evaluation team first reviewing the information and content you have submitted at the submission form, with attachments used as additional context to your form submission. Submissions relying solely on attachments will receive less attention from the evaluation team.

After the Challenge submission close date, A2A will complete the review process and make a decision with regards to the winning solution(s) according to the timeline in the Challenge header. All Solvers who submit a proposal will be notified about the status of their submissions.