ROCKLEDGE, FL – July 30, 2009 -Mainstream Engineering Corporation has been awarded a Phase II contract from the Army to Develop a Temperature Controlled Human Remains Transfer Case (TCHRTC).
The Vietnam-era method of preserving human remains by packing them inside an aluminum transfer case with 40-60 pounds of ice is still done today. Given that internal air temperature is not controlled or monitored and transport can last at least 10 hours, proper storage temperature cannot be maintained.
During Phase I of this Army contract, Mainstream developed and tested a full-size, operational prototype of a TCHRTC. This human remains transport case provides uninterrupted, accurate temperature control from either internal or external power sources, while meeting cost, size, weight, and reliability requirements. Internal power is supplied from common, easily replaceable, nickel-metal-hydride or lithium-ion batteries located in the electronics box. In the Phase II effort, Mainstream engineers will optimize the design, perform extensive testing, and manufacture production-quality prototypes for field testing and evaluation by Army personnel. At the conclusion of this Phase II contract, production-quality TCHRTCs will be available to the military for sale.
