Articles and Publications

Four Brevard Students Receive Science Awards

ROCKLEDGE, FL - March 27, 2008 -The Lawrence R. Grzyll Engineering Award was recently presented by Mainstream Engineering Corporation, Rockledge, Fla., to four Brevard students for their excellence in engineering research. Erin McCaskey, from Thomas Jefferson Middle School, Merritt Island, Fla., compared five types of biodiesel fuels and E85 to typical diesel and gasoline. Collin Irwin, from Hoover Middle School, Indialantic, Fla., designed an attachment for cooling kits that helps when "overclocking" computer processors. Adam Walter, from Satellite High, Satellite, Fla., investigated and tried to optimize the process used to create biochemically engineered cement. Adam Klett, from West Shore Junior/Senior High, Melbourne, Fla., sought to determine what would make the best catalyst for alternative fuel cell applications.  Klett and Walter were selected to receive $1,000 savings bonds while Irwin and McCaskey were selected to receive $500 savings bonds.

The Lawrence R. Grzyll Engineering Award was created to honor the accomplishments of the late Director of Engineering at Mainstream Engineering Corporation.  Mr. Grzyll spent more than 24 years in engineering research and development, working to develop fuel sources from biomass, finding safer solvents and working fluids, developing environmentally safe fire suppressants, and developing advanced thermal storage technologies for military and NASA applications.  His successful innovations included the development of nontoxic two-phase heat transport fluids for manned spacecraft habitats, high-temperature heat pipe fluids for Air Force applications and the development of the first oil-less refrigeration compressor to fly in space. Mr. Grzyll taught undergraduate students at Florida Institute of Technology, authored or co-authored over 60 publications, reports, and conference papers and has more than 15 U.S. patents.

Mainstream Awarded NASA Contract to Develop a Gravity-Insensitive Heat Pump for Lunar Applications

ROCKLEDGE, FL - May 30, 2006 - Mainstream Engineering Corporation, a leading research and development company specializing in advanced thermal control and energy conversion, has been awarded a contract from NASA Johnson Space Center for the design, fabrication, testing, and flight readiness assessment of a Gravity-Insensitive Heat Pump. This vapor-compression cooling system is being developed for future lunar lander and lunar outpost applications. The research involved in this program builds on two of Mainstream's successful projects, oil-less compressors currently onboard the International Space Station, and solar-powered refrigerated containers currently under development for Army Natick.

The NASA contract, with options running through 2009, was placed against General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule 871 for Professional Engineering Services. GSA Schedules (also referred to as Multiple Award Schedules and Federal Supply Schedules) establish long-term government-wide contracts with pre-approved commercial firms, such as Mainstream, at pre-approved rates. An added benefit for both the government and Mainstream is the rapid time it takes to award a new contract.

Mainstream's GSA Schedule includes mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering disciplines for the following special item numbers: 871-2 Concept Development and Requirements Analysis 871-3 System Design, Engineering and Integration 871-4 Test and Evaluation 871-5 Integrated Logistics Support