Mainstream Engineering to Support Development of Process to Convert Municipal Solid Waste to Energy

ROCKLEDGE, FL — April 6, 2020 — Mainstream Engineering Corporation has been awarded a subcontract from Worcester Polytechnic Institute to support the development of a catalytic process to convert municipal solid waste to energy for the Department of Energy.

The project goal is to improve the processibility and conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to an energy-dense liquid product by integrating green waste fractionation with hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) and catalytic upgrading. As landfill space decreases, it is important that we develop new solutions that divert MSW from landfills to produce a valuable energy product. HTL is an excellent choice to process MSW because HTL can rapidly convert wet feeds into biocrude oil. Mainstream will perform analyses to quantify the benefits of different reaction conditions and configurations on the total cost of the energy product. Ultimately, the project will result in a strategy to convert wet wastes generated by municipalities to an economically viable energy product.

About Mainstream Engineering Corporation
Mainstream Engineering Corporation is a 34-year-old Brevard County, Florida manufacturer with a history of leading-edge research and development that has resulted in advanced cost-competitive products, which are made in the USA. Founded in 1986, Mainstream’s mission is to transition advanced R&D into high-quality, environmentally safe, green, commercial products using lean manufacturing techniques. Areas of research include thermal control, energy conversion, power electronics, biomass conversion, chemical technology, and materials science.