Mainstream Engineering Awarded Contract from the U.S. Navy to Rapidly Process Waste Onboard Ships

ROCKLEDGE, FL – October 26, 2009 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation has been awarded a Phase I SBIR contract from the U.S. Navy to demonstrate the effectiveness of hydrothermal liquefaction and compaction in the rapid reduction of waste on board ships.

General shipboard operations produce large amounts of waste such as food waste, cardboard, plastic, and glass on a daily basis. This solid waste must either be eliminated or placed in a designated location that occupies valuable cargo space. Furthermore, this waste storage can lead to objectionable odors, attract unwanted pests, and spread pathogens.

Hydrothermal liquefaction is a process that converts a large portion of the organic content of ship waste into an alternative fuel, which can be used on-site to produce power and electricity. This process combined with a compactor will reduce the overall volume of the waste and create additional cargo space.

Mainstream plans to use a batch reactor to demonstrate the feasibility of the hydrothermal liquefaction process to produce fuel from a heterogeneous waste stream. The resulting fuel will be tested to determine its properties and potential applications. Mainstream will also design a continuous hydrothermal liquefaction and compaction system capable of processing a larger portion of the waste produced daily on ships.