Reporters:

Rudymie Grace D. Juranes Jairdan M. Babac

is a renewable energy source that is derived from living or recently living organisms. includes biological material, not organic material like coal. can be chemically and biochemically treated to convert it to a energy-rich fuel. Energy derived from biomass is mostly used to generate electricity or to produce heat.

Biomass has a smaller energy content for its bulk than fossil fuels. Costs of labor, transportation, and storage would then be higher.

Renewable resource Reduces landfills Protects clean water supplies Reduces acid rain and smog Reduces greenhouse gases Carbon dioxide Methane

Biomass emits carbon dioxide when it naturally decays and when it is used as an energy source

Living biomass in plants and trees absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis
Biomass causes a closed cycle with no net emissions of greenhouse gases

Comes from the forest Can also come from plant and animal waste Wood and waste can be found virtually anywhere Transportation costs

Wood is the largest resource Expand by using other plants, residues, or waste Finding different materials to use as fuel

Many areas could be used Potentially supply more than 20% of US energy supply Bioenergy crops will be more important in future Come closer to area that need energy

Direct combustion

Pyrolysis: thermal decomposition into gas or liquid Involves high temperatures (500-900C), low oxygen Biochemical processes: Anaerobic digestion by methanogens
Controlled fermentation produces alcohols: Ethanol (grain alcohol) Methanol (wood alcohol)

Technologies

Conversion Process

Major Biomass Feedstock

Energy (Or) Fuel Produced Heat Steam Electricity Producer Gas (Low or medium Btu) Synthetic fuel oil (biocrude) Chracoal Methnol

Direct Combustion Wood Agricultural waste Municipal solid waste

Gasification Pyrolysis Methanol Production Anaerobic (Biogas production)

Thermochemical

Animal manure, Agricultural waste, Landfills, Waste Water Biochemical

Medium Btu gas (methane)

Aerobic (Ethanol Production)

Sugar or starch crops Wood waste Pulp sludge Grass straw

Ethanol

Biodiesel Production

Chemical

Rapeseed Soy beans Waste vegetable oil Animal fat

Biodiesel

EN D
Direct combustion
Biomass feedstock Conversion process

Heat Steam Electricity

US ES EN ER GY or PR OD UC T

Wood Agricultural waste Organic waste

Thermochemical

TE C H N OL O G I ES

Producer Gas

Gasification

(Low or medium Btu)

Pyrolysis

Synthetic fuel oil, Charcoal

Methanol Production

Methanol

BIOCHEMICAL CONVERSION PROCESS

B I O M A S S F E E D S T O C K

Conversion process
Animal

manure Agricultural waste Landfill Waste water Biochemical

Sugar

or starch

crop Wood waste Pulp sludge Grass straw

T E C H N O L O G I E S

Anaerobic

Methane gas

F U E L P R O D U C E D

Aerobic

Ethanol

CHEMICAL CONVERSION PROCESS

B I O M A S S F E E D S T O C K

Conversio n process T E C H N O L O G I E S

Mechanical Extraction

Palm Sunflower Coconut Ground

F U E L Biodiesel P R O D U C E D

nut Soy beans Pulp sludge Rapeseed Cotton seed

Chemical

Chemical Solvent

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF PYROLYSIS

Dried and Cut wood logs

Carbonizing Retort Vapours Condenser Tar and wood oil (condensable) Settling vats

Charcoal

Wood gas (Non condensable)

Crude settled tar

Pyroligenious acid

Boiled wood tar

Pitch

Heavy creosote oil

Light oil

Acetic acid

Wood spirit Methanol Wood nephtha Aldehydes and ketones

PRODUCTS OF PYROLYSIS OF WOOD

Fuel for Gasifier: A wide range of biomass materials can be used for Gasification
A Typical Example: 1 kg of Dried biomass gives 3-3.6 kWh heat Energy; or, 0.7-0.9 kWh electricity plus 1.4 kWh heat.

BIOMASS

Drying Zone upto 1200C

Pyrolysis Zone 2000- 6000C

Producer Gas

Oxidation Zone 9000- 12000C

Air

Hearth Air

Reduction Zone
9000- 6000C

Ash Pit

Ash Pit

Grate

SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM OF DOWNDRAFT GASIFIER

SCHEMETIC DIAGRAM OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION

Natural Sugars: Sugar Cane Fruit

Crush

Residues

Process heat, by products.

Starches: Grain (barley) Root (cassava)

Easy

Hydrolysis

Sugar

Yeast fermentation to 10% ethanol

Cellulose: Wood

Difficult

Distillation to 90% ethanol

General combustion Fuel

Purtification to anhydrous alcohol

Petroleum additive or substitute

Development of gasification techniques that incorporate hydrogen to create syngas Biomass contains less energy per pound than fossil fuels Cost-inefficient to transport more than 50 miles before it is converted to fuel

Crop and forest residues often contain high concentrations of important nutrients If the residue is harvested as energy, the nutrients can be lost to the surrounding environment. Other synthetic chemical nutrients or fertilizers can later be added More plants and trees must be planted, because they will be used in a higher quantity

 Biomass is sustainable but there is an expense in producing and converting biomass into fuels and electricity. Collecting biomass turned out to be very different than harvesting, as loggers gained more experience the process became much more efficient. While biomass is one of the best forms of renewable energy, it is not a great fuel. Removing too much biomass can use up nutrients from the soil and possibly increase erosion. Biomass supplies about 15 times as much energy then solar and wind in the United States, and has the potential to supply much more.