ROCKLEDGE, FL – September 1st, 2010 – 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 zero-leakage rotary union for gaseous cryogen transport.
Advances in naval weapon and propulsion technologies are requiring large increases in power production aboard naval vessels. These greater power demands have lead to the development of advanced high-speed, high-power-density electrical generators that require active cooling of generator components. However, transporting the coolant to and from the rotating components of the generator has been a significant problem with this new generator technology. Because existing, commercially available rotary unions cannot sustain the severe operation found on naval vessels, Mainstream will develop an innovative rotary union concept and prototype to meet or exceed the Navy’s stringent rotary union requirements. Project engineers will utilize calculations and computer programs to select and evaluate the rotary union design in order to identify and mitigate all deficiencies of the concept before prototype construction. Once detailed selection of all system components is complete, Mainstream will build and experimentally test the rotary union concept at its facilities in Rockledge, Florida.
