- New Technology Research and Development projects

Biomass Energy Conversion System (BECS)
      The Micro-Gas Attendant™ provides a number of benefits. One of the most valuable byproducts of the MGA is the biomass. The biomass is created as a result of the microbial conversion of animal waste. In the United States, biomass has surpassed hydroelectric power (energy captured from flowing water and turned in to electricity) as the largest domestic source of renewable energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Biomass, defined as any organic material, is one of the most familiar sources of renewable energy and, unlike other renewable resources, can be converted directly into fuels for transportation. This renewable resource can replace the burning of nonrenewable fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Use of biomass energy reduces toxic air emissions, greenhouse gas buildup and dependence on imported oil.

VTI is developing a Biomass Energy Conversion System (BECS), which will extract and process the biomass into transportable fuel. Unlike the inefficiencies inherent in methane digesters, the MGA and BECS systems processes 100% of the waste produced in CAFO’s. Methane digesters, as currently marketed require significant investment in equipment, manure stabilization, modifications to waste lagoons, additional labor, changes in farm operations and does not treat 100% of the waste. Methane digesters typically leave approximately 30% residual waste. BECS is a self-contained system that will produce transportable fuel at the source of the problem, the lagoon. Lagoons treated with an MGA will produce biomass. BECS will process 100% of the biomass without a large capital investment and modifications to existing lagoon configuration and farm operations.

- Future Markets for the Micro-Gas Attendant™

Microbial Reduction of environmental pathogens
      Environmental pathogens contribute to poor animal health within the concentrated animal feed environments. Utilizing the Micro-Gas Attendant™ technology VTI will inject indigenous aerobic and anaerobic microbes into the concentrating animal feeding environments. The introduction of these microbes will reduce the total pathogen load increasing the animal health, milk quality and milk production. A recurring revenue model will be developed.

      Any control procedure employed which attempts to improve the cow's ability to fight off environmental pathogens is reactionary and implies that the cow needs to respond to an infection. It is much more logical to place the majority of our control efforts into reducing or eliminating teat end exposure to environmental bacteria.

Microbial supplement to increase ruminant efficiencies in feed conversion:
      Nutrient availability to rumen microbes often sets the upper limit of production through a low microbial growth efficiency (which directly results in a low protein to energy ratio in the nutrients absorbed in the rumen). Other limitations involve the amount of dietary protein, which escapes rumen digestion, but are digested in the intestines.

      Poor rumen microbe efficacy or a reduction of microbe levels in the rumen will result in a poor conversion rate from feed to milk. The Micro-Gas Attendant™ can propagate and distribute the rumen microbes and enzymes (protein) into the drinking water and feed mix thus increasing the feed to milk conversion process. The higher the conversion the higher milk production, animal health increases and the somatic cell counts are reduced (milk quality benchmark). Our labs will undergo extensive testing to insure the most efficient use of our technology.

Organic Fertilizer/Compost
      Microbes are a vital component in all ecosystems. In agriculture, their value cannot be overemphasized, due to their role in the soil and as an interlink between the biotic and abiotic components as well as between the grazing and detritus food chains. Unfortunately, the microbe role has often been neglected in conventional chemical farming systems. The interaction between microbes and plants developed with the process of evolution in plants, and hence the use of microbes singly or in mixtures of free living and naturally occurring species could enhance the productivity of most farming systems significantly.

      The potential of environmental microbes in agriculture and environmental management is significant. The technology can be used easily and economically to enhance productivity of agricultural systems, especially organic systems and in mitigating environmental pollution.

Composting Animal Mortalities
      Concentrated animal feeding operations are faced with discovering innovative ways to dispose of their mortalities. This need has been brought on by the disappearance of rendering plants, concerns over burial and ground water pollution, and the economic costs and related issues of anaerobic decomposition in tanks. Composting of dead animals is one option that is now available. A relatively new method of managing mortalities current methods utilize high carbon (C) content in materials such as wood chips, sawdust, or straw to help foster the bacterial growth. With good bacterial growth, the nitrogen (N) and other chemicals in the raw waste that produce the strongest odors will be taken up into the bacterial mass (biomass), and both odor production and attraction of flies and vermin will be minimized. VTI understands this process can be enhanced but the use of proper microbes and enzymes. The decomposition process can be accelerated while eliminating odors and fly larva.

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