Mainstream Engineering Awarded Contract from the U.S. Marine Corps for Advanced Environmental Control Unit (ECU)

ROCKLEDGE, FL – May 16th, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a 25-year-old Brevard County manufacturer 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, has been awarded another contract from the U.S. Marine Corps to reduce power consumption, size, and weight of environmental control units (ECUs) for Forward Operating Bases (FOBs).

U.S. forces currently consume about 300,000 barrels of petroleum-based fuels per day. During wartime operating tempo (OPTEMPO), fuel-powered electric generators consume more fuel than any other single source, including vehicles or aircraft. The ECUs which are used to air condition shelters, consume 70 to 80% of all generator power.

Mainstream has developed a new method of providing environmental control to forward-deployed military shelters that will result in a system that is 25% more fuel-efficient, 33% smaller, and 18% lighter. This gain in fuel efficiency conservatively results in an annual fuel savings of more than $150 million.

Under this contract with the Marines, Mainstream will perform experiments to validate both the efficiency improvement and the business case for transitioning this new system to the military. In a potential follow-on Phase II, Mainstream would fabricate and demonstrate a full-scale system, eventually resulting in full-scale production in Brevard County, Florida. According to Dr. Robert P. Scaringe, President of Mainstream, “Mainstream, a recognized leader in military heating, cooling, and power generation systems, and we are excited about the potential to field a dramatically new family of highly efficient ECUs. This market development is well aligned with Mainstream’s current military products.”

While many employers in Brevard County are discussing reductions in force, Mainstream has seen its staff increase by 14% in the last year alone. This new ECU contract can potentially allow Mainstream to create additional engineering and production positions.

“Given the state of the economy and the anticipated job losses at Kennedy Space Center, we are excited about the possibility of being able to manufacture yet another product on Florida’s Space Coast,” said Dr. Robert Scaringe, President of Mainstream.

“This new ECU contract award is one small step in a series of ongoing job-creating programs that we are developing at both Mainstream and at spin-off companies. These programs create local jobs, improve the nation’s energy efficiency, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, all while reducing emissions and preserving the environment,” continued Scaringe.

Mainstream Engineering has 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.

About Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Mainstream Engineering Corporation is a solutions-oriented research, development, and manufacturing small business founded in 1986. Our primary 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.