MECO To Design and Develop Advanced Shipboard Desalination for US Navy
MECO has been awarded the design and development of advanced shipboard desalination units for the U.S. Navy under contracts with the Office of Naval Research (ONR). Under the new contracts, MECO will develop systems rated at 4,000 and 100,000 gallons per day that are designed to take advantage of advancements in technology and function within the constraints of operating on a Navy ship. The program will span three years with the first six months in design followed by development of demonstration prototypes. Objectives of the program include minimizing volume, mass and manning requirements while improving reliability.
MECO is a manufacturer of engineered products for water purification. The company has a history of providing products and services to the U.S. Armed Forces since World War II. The company’s military products include mobile water purification plants, pumps and marine heat exchangers. In conjunction with Teledyne Scientific and DARPA, MECO is developing technologies to further reduce weight, space and energy for man portable desalination. MECO is currently under contract with the U.S. Army TACOM for production of the Lightweight Water Purifier (LWP). The LWP, previously designed and developed by MECO, represents current state of the art technology for small mobile water purification and desalination needs. The LWP produces 125 gallons per hour of freshwater from a brackish water source or 75 gallons per hour from a seawater source. The LWP removes nuclear, biological or chemical agents from the water supply, is set up in 45 minutes and operated by one soldier. The LWP fits in the back of a HMVEE, a Blackhawk helicopter and is air droppable.
MECO is a leading producer of water purification plants for other industries including packaged desalination plants for the marine oil and gas industry, as well as biopharmaceutical firms and food and beverage companies where water is a critical ingredient in the manufacturing process.