Mainstream Engineering Awarded Contract from the Army for a Thermal Energy Storage Device to Improve Air Conditioner Efficiency

FLORIDA – May 2nd, 2014 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a 28-year-old Brevard County manufacturer of advanced QwikProduct™ Air Conditioning and Refrigeration products (www.qwik.com) and with a history of leading-edge research and development, has been awarded a contract from the Army to develop a thermal energy storage device to improve the efficiency of air conditioning units.

Military air conditioners are one of the greatest consumers of electricity in forward operating bases located in the Middle East. Even small increases in efficiency can lead to significant reductions in generator fuel consumption, fuel transport safety, and comfort. The climate at military bases can be highly variable and shelter cooling loads can vary by a factor of 20 during a single day. This scenario is ideal for load shifting and energy reduction using thermal energy storage. Mainstream is developing an add-on thermal storage device for air conditioning systems that can reduce daily energy consumption by 9%. This innovative addition to existing air conditioning systems pays for itself after only a year of use. The Army plans to purchase approximately 10,000 new ECUs (also manufactured by Mainstream in their Rockledge facility) over the next 5 years, so this add-on thermal storage device could result in significant savings for the DoD.

Mainstream has a tradition of developing innovative products for military applications and transitioning this technology to the residential and commercial air conditioning market through their line of QwikProducts™. For example, Qwik System Flush® was developed to clean the oxygen breathing systems of a military aircraft and now is used to clean air conditioning line sets. Likewise, PuraClean® was developed for a NASA application and is now used to improve the filtration effect of air filters for those with allergies and asthma.

About Mainstream Engineering
Mainstream Engineering Corporation is a solutions-oriented research, development and manufacturing small business with a history of leading-edge research and development that has resulted in advanced, lean-manufacturing, cost-competitive products, which are all made in the USA. Founded in 1986, Mainstream’s mission is to transition advanced thermal control, energy storage and energy conversion technology into high-quality, cost-effective, environmentally-safe green, commercial products. Products include lightweight diesel/JP8-fueled engines (including generators and hybrid vehicle drive trains), advanced thermal control units, advanced biomass conversion technologies, refrigerators/freezers for shipping containers and the QwikProduct™ line of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) products. Areas of advanced research include thermal control, energy conversion, engine and emissions research, turbomachinery, chemical technology, and materials science. QwikProducts™ is a trademark and Qwik System Flush® and PuraClean® are registered trademarks of Mainstream Engineering Corporation.