ROCKLEDGE, FL – May 28, 2009 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a leading research and development company specializing in advanced thermal control and energy conversion, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Navy to develop a carbon monoxide mitigation technique for oxygen systems aboard naval aircraft.
The current oxygen concentration system on naval aircraft is incapable of completely removing carbon monoxide from the pilot’s breathing oxygen. Carbon monoxide in the breathing oxygen can result in the pilot’s becoming drowsy, having blurred vision, or even becoming unconscious. Mainstream is developing a catalytic oxidation reactor to convert the poisonous concentration of carbon monoxide into a safe concentration of carbon dioxide. Mainstream will pursue two different approaches: (1) integrating the oxidizing catalyst into an existing component of the oxygen concentration system; and (2) designing a stand-alone catalytic reactor that can be placed in-line with the existing oxygen concentration system. Both approaches will result in complete oxidation of the carbon monoxide in the pilot’s oxygen feed and will provide the Navy with multiple solutions that can be implemented on a variety of aircraft.
