ROCKLEDGE, FL – November 4th, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation has been awarded a contract from the Army to develop an innovative vapor compression ice maker for the theatre of war. This new award is directly on the heals of more than $100 million in production contracts for both refrigerated containers and improved military air conditioners. These unique products all significantly reduce fuel consumption while helping to save lives by reducing the number of fuel convoys needed.

“When we discovered that the U.S. military was trucking ice to forward operating bases, we knew we had to develop a better method that would eliminate such convoys,” said Dr. Scaringe, President of Mainstream Engineering Corporation. “Using a combination of Mainstream’s internal funding and Army R&D funding, we have demonstrated a compact, portable system that is well suited to these operations,” says Scaringe.

In the successfully completed first phase of the development, Mainstream designed, fabricated, and tested a field-deployable ice making system that operates on military tactical generators. In addition to reducing the need for convoys to supply the ice and thereby reducing risk to the warfighter, Mainstream’s portable ice making system can save the government about $363 million over the 15 year anticipated life. In addition, the financial return on the initial investment would be only 10 months.

“Mainstream always seeks high-efficiency, green, environmentally safe solutions that also make financial sense by reducing cost to the user,” stated Scaringe.

In the next phase, Mainstream plans to deliver a second-generation system for extensive military field tests, which if successful will mean additional production jobs in Florida. Mainstream manufactures all its products in Florida.

“Given the state of the economy and the job losses at Kennedy Space Center, we are excited about the possibility of being able to employ displaced aerospace workers from the local community,” said Scaringe. “This new Army Phase II contract award is another small step in a series of ongoing job-creating programs that we are developing at Mainstream.

“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 proudly made in the USA.

About Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Mainstream Engineering Corporation is a solutions-oriented research, development and manufacturing small business founded in 1986. Their 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, energy storage, turbomachinery, chemical technology and materials science.

For More Information
Brandon Scheckel
Director of Business Development, Mainstream Engineering
321-305-5343
bscheckel@mainstream-engr.com

ROCKLEDGE, FL – September 16th, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a 25-year Brevard County research and manufacturing company, has been awarded a demonstration contract from the U.S. Air Force to fabricate safe high-density compact state-of-the-art hydrogen storage vessels for use with fuel cells or to replace conventional batteries.

The way in which high-density hydrogen is safely stored, transported and delivered has caused a bottleneck in the shift from a hydrocarbon-based energy infrastructure to hydrogen-based energy. Researchers at Mainstream have developed an innovative new solution.

Traditional chemical hydrogen storage through hydrogen-rich molecules is one the safest ways of containment because the hydrogen-containing compound has a lower volatility. However, this form of hydrogen storage results in heavy and expensive storage vessels.

Although physical storage of pure hydrogen gas is more straightforward, this method of storage is dangerous because of the volatility and the storage pressures that are required for high densities.

Leveraging their prior research, engineers at Mainstream have developed a solution that potentially will result in a low-cost high-energy storage density. This effort seeks to demonstrate storage densities that surpass the DOE 2015 targets for hydrogen storage by 98% on a mass basis and 65% on a volume basis. This technology will impact renewable energy storage and distribution, and pave the way to safe, portable hydrogen storage for automotive and personal electronic power. “This effort continues to create local jobs, while seeking to improve the nation’s energy efficiency, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and reduce emissions,” stated Dr. Robert P. Scaringe, Mainstream’s President and Founder. “Energy is the Space Race for the new millennium,” stated Scaringe.

“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. Their primary mission is to transition advanced thermal control, energy storage and energy conversion technology into high-quality, cost-effective, environmentally safe, green commercial products. Military products include lightweight diesel/JP8-fueled electric generators, environmental control units, and refrigerators/freezers for shipping containers. Commercial products include the QwikProduct™ line for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) technicians, details of which can be found at www.qwik.com. Areas of expertise include thermal control, energy conversion, turbomachinery, chemical technology, biomass conversion and materials science.

For More Information
Brandon Scheckel
Director of Business Development, Mainstream Engineering
321-305-5343
bscheckel@mainstream-engr.com

ROCKLEDGE, FL – August 19th, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a 25-year Brevard County research and manufacturing company, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop an efficient power system for its tactical shelters.

Logistics support activities for deployed operations that use tactical shelters are encumbered with heavy re-fueling requirements. In fact, over 80% of all deployed logistics operations are for re-fueling purposes. This continued level of logistics support for fuel places military personnel and military missions at risk.

To reduce this risk, Mainstream will reduce the quantity of fuel needed for these tactical shelters by developing a new micro-grid that will significantly improve the efficiency of the power delivery. This innovative micro-grid will use high-efficiency, power electronics developed by the research engineers at Mainstream.

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 contract will 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 employ displaced aerospace workers from the local community,” said Dr. Robert Scaringe, President of Mainstream. “This new Air Force contract award is one small step in a series of ongoing job-creating programs that we are developing at both Mainstream and at our automotive spin-off company.

“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.

For More Information
Brandon Scheckel
Director of Business Development, Mainstream Engineering
321-305-5343
bscheckel@mainstream-engr.com

ROCKLEDGE, FL – August 5th, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a 25-year-old Brevard County manufacturer with a history of leading-edge research and development, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy to fabricate advanced electrochemical double-layer capacitors (ultracapacitors) from addressable arrays of catalytic nanoparticles.

Harvesting renewable yet transient energy, such as solar and wind, requires high-performance power storage technology to maintain an uninterrupted supply of electricity. For any renewable energy technology to be economically feasible, the power storage modules must be low cost and long lived. They must also have extremely high power and energy storage densities.

Under this Navy contract, Mainstream Engineering will develop large area arrays of catalytic nanoparticles using a low-cost process. This technology can be used to fabricate ultracapacitors and many other electronic devices, including solar cells. Ultracapacitors also have applications as a rapidly-rechargeable power source for hybrid vehicles.

Leveraging their expertise in nanostructure fabrication and manipulation, Mainstream is developing an ultracapacitor fabrication approach that yields state-of-the-art energy and power storage densities. This technology will not only impact renewable energy storage and distribution, but will also enable personal electronic devices to run significantly longer before recharging.

This new Navy contract will allow Mainstream to create additional engineering and production positions. “We are excited about the possibility of being able to employ displaced aerospace workers from the local community,” said Dr. Robert Scaringe, President of Mainstream. “This new Navy contract award is one small step in a series of ongoing job-creating programs that we are developing at both Mainstream and at our automotive and bio-mass 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 and energy conversion technology into high-quality and cost-effective commercial products. Military products include lightweight diesel/JP8-fueled electric generators, environmental control units, and refrigerators/freezers for shipping containers. Commercial products include the QwikProduct™ line for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVAC/R) technicians, details of which can be found at www.qwik.com. Areas of expertise include thermal control, energy conversion, turbomachinery, chemical technology, and materials science.

For More Information
Brandon Scheckel
Director of Business Development, Mainstream Engineering
321-305-5343
bscheckel@mainstream-engr.com

Five-year contract valued at $40M calls for delivery of Next-Gen Refrigerated Tricon Containers

ROCKLEDGE, FL – July 8th, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a leader in the development and commercialization of advanced thermal, chemical, energy and materials-based technologies, has been awarded a sole-source contract to provide both the U.S. Army and Air Force with the next-generation, multi-functional Tricon Refrigerated Container System (TRCS).

With a potential value of $40M, the five-year contract calls for the delivery of insulated Tricon containers (both Army and Air Force versions) equipped with Mainstream’s new high-performance/energy-efficient Modular Refrigeration Unit (MRU). The TRCS requirements and solicitation were led by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division.

“The contract award represents the culmination of the many advancements that we have achieved in the development of thermal control technologies with compact form factors,” said Robert P. Scaringe, Ph.D., president of Mainstream Engineering. “The outstanding dedication our Mainstream team put forth in this effort is to be commended.”

This contract, along with an earlier award for the development and manufacture of Improved Environmental Controls Units (IECUs), represents more than $100M in new production contracts awarded to Mainstream in the last nine months. These commercial-off-the-shelf products are a result of Mainstream’s successful commercialization of an earlier Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant. Mainstream leads the Department of Defense in SBIR commercialization with a 100 percent rating on the Commercialization Index.

“We look at the SBIR program as a joint effort by Mainstream and the government to develop dual-use products for both military and civilian applications that result in superior products at lower cost,” said Scaringe. “This is yet another Mainstream Engineering success story that began in the SBIR program.”

Tricons are much-relied on transportable storage units that offer a wide range of options for medical, field kitchen, electronics and equipment applications. These highly versatile shipping containers can be configured so that three units secured together occupy the identical footprint as a standard 20 ft ISO intermodal container. TRCS units are also ideal for disaster relief and third-world humanitarian operations.

The new military requirements for the TRCS—which operates as an expeditionary field refrigerator providing safe storage and temperature control for perishable items—address a variety of capabilities such as energy efficiency, performance, maintenance and durability.

Mainstream’s MRU was specifically designed to meet the new DoD size, weight and efficiency requirements as well as operate environmentally safe refrigerants. The units were engineered to provide precise temperature control, high reliability, ruggedness and ease of maintenance. Units delivered through the contract also meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/U.S. Department of Energy ENERGY STAR rating requirements.

About Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Mainstream Engineering Corporation is a solutions-oriented research, development and manufacturing small business founded in 1986. Their mission is to transition advanced thermal control, energy storage and energy conversion technology into high-quality, cost-effective, environmentally safe, commercial products. Products include lightweight diesel/JP8-fueled engines (including generators and hybrid vehicle drivetrains), advanced thermal control units, advanced biomass conversion technologies, advanced batteries and ultra capacitors, 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, combustion engine and emissions research, turbomachinery, chemical technology and materials science.

For More Information
Brandon Scheckel
Director of Business Development, Mainstream Engineering
321-305-5343
bscheckel@mainstream-engr.com

ROCKLEDGE, FL – June 24th, 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 a contract from the Navy to develop a power conductor for electromagnetic railguns with integrated thermal energy storage.

The United States Navy is seeking a compact, flexible power conductor capable of handling the high magnitude; high transient pulsed loading required by a naval electromagnetic railgun. Very high current levels (up to 6 mega-amps) repeatedly carried over a compact cross-sectional area will result in significant heating. Mainstream has proposed a solution that minimizes complexity, requires minimal volume, and uses no external power to provide cooling. Mainstream’s innovative conductor reduces weight and cost and increases flexibility compared to a standard conductor.

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 Navy contract allows 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 employ displaced aerospace workers from the local community. This new Navy contract award is one small step in a series of ongoing job-creating programs that are developing at both Mainstream and our spin-off companies, to create local jobs, improve the nation’s energy efficiency, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, all while reducing emissions and preserving the environment. Our products have always been proudly “Made in the USA,” stated Dr. Robert Scaringe, president of Mainstream.

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.

ROCKLEDGE, FL – June 13th, 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 a contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop their innovative high-density thermal energy storage device for directed energy weapons.

Airborne directed energy weapons, such as high-powered microwave or high-energy lasers require thermal energy storage to minimize the size and weight of the thermal management system. Current state-of-the-art methods fail to provide the necessary energy density, however Mainstream has developed a new technology with five-times the energy storage capacity per unit volume. In this effort, Mainstream will experimentally demonstrate this system and a follow-on effort will focus on integration of the system into aircraft.

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 Air Force contract allows Mainstream to create additional job opportunities.

“This new Air Force contract award is another step in a series of ongoing job-creating new programs at Mainstream. We are actively seeking to create local jobs, improve the nation’s energy efficiency, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, all while reducing emissions and preserving the environment. Our products have always been proudly ‘Made in the USA’,” stated Dr. Robert Scaringe, president of Mainstream.

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.

ROCKLEDGE, FL – May 27th, 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 a contract from the U.S. Navy to investigate innovative advanced uses for free electron laser (FEL) electron beam (Ebeam) injectors in the area of materials processing.

Thermal energy processing is a cornerstone of material property manipulation and transformation. However, the means of delivering the thermal energy to the material can vary from radiative or conductive delivery to photonic or Ebeam delivery. Attractive techniques for materials processing can be realized with Ebeam technology because the energy is delivered to a larger interaction volume than with laser (photon) surface treatment. As a result, this method eliminates ablation issues, which occurs when small amounts of material are removed from the surface of an object. The larger interaction volume also thermally processes more of the material subsurface.

New Ebeam processes are becoming increasingly feasible since the advent of plasma window technology. This technology allows a work piece to be processed out of vacuum without the substantial beam attenuation observed in less robust solid-state electron widows. Further, ex-situ Ebeam processing enables the application of this technology to any sized work piece, as well as work pieces of unusual shapes. Under this effort, Mainstream is investigating several novel techniques for Ebeam processing of materials.

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 Navy contract will 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 employ displaced aerospace workers from the local community. This new Navy contract award is one small step in a series of ongoing job-creating programs that are developing at both Mainstream and our spin-off companies, to create local jobs, improve the nation’s energy efficiency, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, all while reducing emissions and preserving the environment. Our products have always been proudly “Made in the USA,” stated Dr. Robert Scaringe, President of Mainstream.

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.

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 70–80% 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.

ROCKLEDGE, FL – April 29, 2011 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a 25-year-old Brevard County manufacturer with a history of leading-edge research and development has been awarded a contract from NASA to develop an advanced, compact, passive, thermal management system for spacecraft exposed to extremely high temperatures and pressures.

Robotic exploration on the surface of planets like Venus, means that techniques to cool system electronics to room temperature while the ambient temperature is over 880ºF must be developed and demonstrated. Mainstream has developed an innovative, patent-pending, passive, thermal management system that is actually capable of providing electronic system cooling at 86°F, while rejecting heat to ambient temperatures above 880°F. This effort includes performance demonstration experiments in this high temperature environment and will demonstrate a cooling system with a mass of less than 0.22 kg/W/day.

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 NASA contract will allow Mainstream to create additional engineering positions.

“This new NASA contract award is another step in a series of ongoing job-creating new contracts at Mainstream. We are very excited about the potential of this technology for future robotic exploration,” stated Dr. Robert Scaringe, President of Mainstream.

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 QwikProductTM 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.