Mainstream to Develop Innovative Fuel Injection System for Air Force

ROCKLEDGE, FL – June 13, 2008 – Mainstream Engineering Corporation, leading research, and development company specializing in advanced thermal control and energy conversion, has been awarded a contract from the U.S. Air Force to develop an innovative fuel injection system for very small internal combustion engines.

The U.S. Air Force is currently seeking micro fuel injection systems for very small, heavy-fuel internal combustion engines. These small engines are required for lightweight, low-volume applications such as unmanned aircraft systems, unmanned ground systems, and unmanned maritime systems.

Fuel injection plays a key role in determining the useful work that can be extracted from the combustion process in these engines, as well as the gasses that are emitted from the engine. As power density requirements and emission regulations are increased, new fuel injection technologies need to be developed beyond that what is currently available. The major limitation with the current technology is that it is not capable of delivering sufficient amounts of fuel while distributing the fuel well throughout very small volumes. In an effort to overcome this limitation, Mainstream plans to develop a fuel injection system that uses an innovative atomization technique. During the Phase I effort, Mainstream will experimentally validate the benefits of using this injection system. In Phase II, Mainstream will develop a full-scale prototype injection system.