Sub-zero Temperature, Small Form Factor, CO Oxidation Reactor for Decontamination of Pilot''s Oxygen Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-035 Topic Title: Sub-zero Temperature, Small Form Factor, CO Oxidation Reactor for Decontamination of Pilot''s Oxygen Proposal No.: N091-035-1502 Firm: Mainstream Engineering Corporation 200 Yellow Place Pines Industrial Center Rockledge, Florida 32955 Contact: Joshua Sole Phone: (321) 631-3550 Web Site: www.mainstream-engr.com Abstract: This proposal addresses the Navy's desire for CO mitigation in the breathing oxygen supplied to aviators. The current onboard oxygen generation system (OBOGS) is ineffective at removing CO from the pilot's oxygen supply during the take-off procession when the OBOGS is operating at low pressure and ingesting significant amounts of CO from the exhaust of other aircraft. Mainstream believes that the best solution is one that has virtually zero impact on the fluid dynamics of the existing OBOGS. Some CO removal methods require substantial pressure differentials to operate and would require a complete redesign of the OBOGS. Therefore, Mainstream believes that a low-pressure-drop CO oxidation reactor (COOR) that catalytically converts CO to CO2 is the most practical solution. Mainstream has already identified a catalyst that can achieve 100% CO oxidation at temperatures as low as -50�C (-58�F) and will demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed catalyst in Phase I. Mainstream proposes to deposit the catalyst on a polymeric foam that will be the heart of the COOR unit. The COOR is approximately 1.25" in diameter and 4" long and can oxidize all of the CO ingested by the OBOGS prior to its reaching the pilot's mask. Benefits: Development of the COOR unit is important to the physiological health of aviators. In the bloodstream, CO can cause symptoms ranging from nausea and dizziness to death - all of which are extremely detrimental to the safety of aviators as well as the population as a whole. Furthermore, CO acts as a poison to fuel cell catalysts and to the environment. Development of an oxidation reactor than can eliminate toxic CO from gases over an extremely wide temperature range would have application not only to the Navy but to air-purification equipment manufacturers, fuel cell developers, and HVAC systems. Return