Ivan Milin is a professional engineer from Toronto, Ontario who has developed a unique technology called the Milinator process, which recycles organic waste products to generate a highly effective fertilizer, called Cyclorganic (Ecospace Engineering, 2013). Cyclorganic is a slow-release fertilizer produced by Milinator Technologies Inc. in Toronto, Ontario, using only natural ingredients. The concept behind the Milinator technology originated from an idea developed by the Russian Space Program that would allow humans to survive interplanetary space travel (Ecospace Engineering, 2013). The Russian scientists designed a system that would recycle all waste products generated within the enclosed environment of a spaceship (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10). The technology was capable of processing a small amount of waste, including leftover food and fecal matter, into a nutrient rich substance. The recycled product would serve as a feed source for birds and crops that would be cultivated within the ship, which would in turn feed the astronauts (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10).
The Milinator technology is an expansion of the Russian recycling process and has been adapted to facilitate industrial volumes of manure (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10). The original Russian recycling system was designed to circulate air down the length of the belt, which restricted the maximum area that could be processed at once. Milin made a simple alteration to the original process by changing the direction the air would circulate. Beyond a certain length, the warm air that is required to circulate through the processing machine would cool down to significantly to allow proper recycling. The Milinator technology can support any volume of manure because the air circulates across the width of the belt instead of length-wise. Milinator technology can accommodate any volume of manure by increasing the length of each conveyer belt. Milinator rapidly recycles raw manure in less than a week using the natural larval activity of the common housefly, Musca domestica L. Strictly using the metabolism of fly larvae, fresh manure is degraded over a short period to generate a fertilizer called Cyclorganic. The fly eggs are collected from a population of adults that have been domesticated and contained for the Milinator technology. On the first day of the Milinator process, the eggs are applied to the manure as it is distributed evenly along the first of five conveyer belts (Figure 1). The manure will progressively move along each layer of the conveyer belt, occupying one level per day over a period of 5 days (Figure 1). As the manure travels through the Milinator machine, warm air is circulated across the conveyer belt. By the end of the second day, the larvae have begun to rapidly digest the nutrients within the manure as well as any bacteria that may have developed during the first day (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10).
Figure 1: Schematic drawing of the side (top) and front view (bottom) of the prototype Milinator unit designed and engineered by Ivan Milin and Walinga Inc., respectively. The front view of the machine illustrates the ramp that will deposit the larvae in a separate container.
The demonstrative video from Ivan Milin shows the consistency of manure being further refined by the larvae each day (Milin, Space Travel). By the end of the third day, the larvae have grown to nearly their full size and the manure has been processed into a much drier and finer texture (Milin, Space Travel). Near the end of the process the larvae have grown to approximately 300 times their original weight and contain a high concentration of protein (EcoSpace Engineering, 2013).
The final products of the Milinator technology include the Cyclorganic fertilizer as well as a protein-rich source of dried M. domestica larvae. The fly larvae instinctually search for a cooler environment to pupate (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10). They naturally separate themselves from the finished product, as they will move out of the warm manure at the end of the conveyer and fall into a separate container designed to collect the larvae (Figure 1) (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10).
The composition of the final Cyclorganic product is displayed in Table 1. The proportion of nitrogen is much greater in Cyclorganic than manure that has been stored under anaerobic conditions (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 11). As mentioned earlier, a large quantity of nutrients are released from manure during storage and improper application. Compared to the approximate analysis of 1% of nitrogen that is found in anaerobic digested manure, the Milinator process results in 5% total nitrogen, which will eliminate a major portion of greenhouse gas emissions released from the livestock industry (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 11; Ilea, 2009). The higher concentration of nitrogen in Cyclorganic compared to stored manure (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10). Cyclorganic is also a good source of calcium, which accounts for around 6% of the overall composition. A significant portion, around two thirds (66%), of Cyclorganic is organic matter. Milin has been producing his fertilizer product using Canadian poultry manure, specifically from egg laying hens. However, the Milinator process can be applied to any source of waste, including food, the dead flies that result from captivity or other livestock manure (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 11). Cyclorganic is a superior source of organic nutrients as a result of the biological activity of the M. domestica larvae (EcoSpace Engineering, 2013). The metabolism of the larvae creates other beneficial molecules within the soil, such as enzymes and vitamins, which are advantageous for plant development (EcoSpace Engineering, 2013).
The composition of the final Cyclorganic product is displayed in Table 1. The proportion of nitrogen is much greater in Cyclorganic than manure that has been stored under anaerobic conditions (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 11). As mentioned earlier, a large quantity of nutrients are released from manure during storage and improper application. Compared to the approximate analysis of 1% of nitrogen that is found in anaerobic digested manure, the Milinator process results in 5% total nitrogen, which will eliminate a major portion of greenhouse gas emissions released from the livestock industry (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 11; Ilea, 2009). The higher concentration of nitrogen in Cyclorganic compared to stored manure (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 10). Cyclorganic is also a good source of calcium, which accounts for around 6% of the overall composition. A significant portion, around two thirds (66%), of Cyclorganic is organic matter. Milin has been producing his fertilizer product using Canadian poultry manure, specifically from egg laying hens. However, the Milinator process can be applied to any source of waste, including food, the dead flies that result from captivity or other livestock manure (Milin, Artists, Innovators & Visionaries, Ep. 11). Cyclorganic is a superior source of organic nutrients as a result of the biological activity of the M. domestica larvae (EcoSpace Engineering, 2013). The metabolism of the larvae creates other beneficial molecules within the soil, such as enzymes and vitamins, which are advantageous for plant development (EcoSpace Engineering, 2013).
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