Biomass Energy

Biomass &
Biofuels
 OVERVIEW
• Biomass is a renewable energy source that is derived from
living or recently living organisms.
• Biomass includes biological material, not inorganic material
like coal.
• Energy derived from biomass is mostly used to generate
electricity or to produce heat.
• Thermal energy is extracted by means of combustion,
pyrolysis, and gasification.
• Biomass can be chemically and biochemically treated to
convert it to a energy-rich fuel.
Global Energy Sources 2002

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Bioenergy Forecasts

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Yearly Solar fluxes & Human Energy
Consumption
Solar 3,850,000 EJ

Wind 2,250 EJ

Biomass potential 100–300 EJ

Primary energy use
510 EJ
(2009)
Electricity (2009) 62.5 EJ
Constituents of Biomass

• Lignin: 15%–25% H3CO

HO
O O
OCH 3
H 3CO
O
OH
OCH 3OCH 3 O
O HO OH
O
OCH 3

• Complex aromatic
OH OCH 3
O O HO
HO OH O OH
O O HO
HO O OH
O
OH OH OH
OH OH O
OCH3 H 3CO HO

structure
OCH 3 O O HO
HO OH
O OH OH
O
O
OCH 3OCH 3 OH
O O OH O
OCH 3 HO HO
OH O OH
O HO O HO
O OH
O OH
O O OH
O
O OH OH OH OH
OH OH O OH O

• Very high energy

HO
OH HO HO
O OH O HO OH O HO
H 3CO HO OH
O OH
O
OCH 3 O O
OH OH
O OH O OH O
OH HO HO
O O HO O HO

content
O OH
O OH O OH
O OH
OH OH OH
OH OH O OH O
HO HO
O OH O HO O HO
HO OH
O O OH
OH
O O
O OH OH
HO OH O HO OH O
O O

• Resists biochemical
O HO O HO
O OH
O OH O O OH
OH
OH OH
OH O OH O
HO HO
OH O HO OH O HO
O OH
O O
OH OH

conversion
OH O HO OH O
O HO
OH O OH
O OH
OH
OH O
HO
OH O HO
O
OH
OH O

OH
 Constituents of Biomass…cont..

• Hemicellulose: Cellulose:
23%–32% 38%–50%
• Xylose is the • Most abundant
second most form of carbon
abundant sugar in
the biosphere in biosphere
• Polymer of 5- and • Polymer of
6-carbon glucose, good
sugars, marginal biochemical
biochemical feed feedstock

• The chemical characteristics of these

constituents are dictating the evolution of bio-
refinery technology.
Types of Biomass

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Biomass Resources
• Energy Crops
– Woody crops
– Agricultural crops
• Waste Products
– Wood residues
– Temperate crop wastes
– Tropical crop wastes
– Animal wastes
– Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
– Commercial and industrial wastes
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Corn

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Soybeans

13
Sorghum

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Sugar Cane Bagasse

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Corn Stover

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Wood Chips & Sawdust

http://www.energytrust.org/RR/bio/
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Tracy Biomass Plant

Truck unloading wood chips that will fuel

the Tracy Biomass Plant, Tracy, California.
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Municipal Solid Waste

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 Biopower
• Biopower is the process of using biomass (plant and
organic matter) to generate electricity.
• Biomass has been used for lighting, cooking, and heating
ever since humans first discovered fire.
• Today, for example, hundreds of US power plants use
biomass resources to produce 65 billion kilowatt-hours of
electricity each year.
• Biomass is the single largest source of non-hydro
renewable electricity.
• The majority of electricity produced from biomass is used
as base load power in the existing electrical distribution
system.
Biopower…cont..

• The wood and paper

industries generate
and use about two-
thirds of this power.
• Biomass is the single
largest source of
non-hydro renewable
electricity.
 Environmental Benefits of
Biopower
• Although biopower production results in increased
particulate emissions,
• They are cleaner than coal fired power plants
because they do not release sulfur dioxide.
• Additionally, bioenergy systems are carbon
dioxide neutral because the plant material
absorbs as much carbon dioxide during its life as
released when it is burned to produce electricity.
 Types of Biopower systems
• There are three different types of biopower systems:
direct-fire, co-firing, and gasification.

1. Direct-Fire
• Direct firing involves burning biomass directly to produce
steam. This steam is then captured and directed to spin
a turbine that produces electricity.
• This system is very similar to conventional power
production that produces electricity.
• Most of today’s biopower plants use a direct combustion
system
Direct –fire plant
Biomass Direct Combustion

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MSW Power Plant

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Types of Biopower systems…cont…

2. Co-Firing
• Co-firing is similar to direct firing except for
the fact that biomass materials are burned
in combination with a fossil fuel, most
often coal, in a high efficiency boiler.
• Utility companies use this approach to
reduce overall air pollution emissions, most
notably sulfur dioxide.
 Types of Biopower systems…cont…
3. Gasification
• Gasification systems are quite different from the other two
methods.
• Gasification involves using high temperatures in an oxygen
starved environment to convert biomass into a gas.
• This gas can then be used to fuel a combined-cycle gas
turbine.
• Gasification is the preferred method given that combined
gas-turbines are the most efficient of all power conversion
technologies.
Types of Biopower systems…cont /Gasification

• Biomass heated with no oxygen

• Gasifies to mixture of CO and H 2

– Called “Syngas” for synthetic gas

• Mixes easily with oxygen

• Burned in turbines to generate electricity

– Like natural gas

• Can easily be converted to other fuels, chemicals, and valuable
materials

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 Biomass Gasifier
• 200 tons of wood chips
daily
• Forest thinnings; wood
pallets
• Converted to gas at
~1850 ºF
• Combined cycle gas
turbine
• 8MW power output McNeil Generating Station
biomass gasifier – 8MW

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Main bioenergy conversion
routes

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Pyrolysis
• Heat bio-material under pressure
– 500-1300 ºC (900-2400 ºF)
– 50-150 atmospheres
– Carefully controlled air supply
• Up to 75% of biomass converted to liquid
• Tested for use in engines, turbines, boilers
• Currently experimental

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Pyrolysis Schematic

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Anaerobic Digestion
• Decompose biomass with microorganisms
– Closed tanks known as anaerobic digesters
– Produces methane (natural gas) and CO2
• Methane-rich biogas can be used as fuel or
as a base chemical for biobased products.
• Used in animal feedlots, and elsewhere

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 Biorefinery
• A biorefinery is a facility that breaks down biomass into
fuels, power, and chemicals than can be used for human
use.
• By producing many different products, a biorefinery can
take advantage of the differences in biomass components
and maximize the value derived from biomass.
• To be cost effective, a biorefinery would have to be
located near a specific biomass resource, like a cornfield.
• A lot of the technology for an efficient biorefinery has
already been developed.
Biorefinery Concept
Biomass conversion
Conversion Utilization
Thermochemical Biopower
•Combustion •Electrical Power
Feedstock
•Gasification Generation
•Other •Process Heating
Biochemical Biofuels
•Anaerobic Digestion •Synthesis gases (CO + H2) (for
•Alcohol Fermentation further refinement to
liquid/gaseous fuels)
Physicochemical
•Biogas (methane + CO2)
•Oil extraction
including digester gas
•Ethanol
•Biodiesel
•Others
Bioproducts (chemicals and
materials
•Fertilizer
Combustion: direct-fired systems. They burn bio-energy feedstocks
directly.
Gasification: biomass is heated with no oxygen or only about one-
third the oxygen needed for efficient combustion. Biomass then
gasifies to a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen—synthesis
gas or syngas.
Biochemical: relies on the abilities of specific microorganisms to
convert biomass components to useful liquids and gases, as ethanol 37
Sugar Platform
1. Convert biomass to sugar or other fermentation
feedstock

2. Ferment biomass intermediates using biocatalysts

• Microorganisms including yeast and bacteria;

3. Process fermentation product

• Yield fuel-grade ethanol and other fuels,
chemicals, heat and/or electricity

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Biomass Basic Data

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Net Life Cycle Emissions

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 Heat Energy Content

Boyle, Renewable Energy, Oxford University Press (2004) 41

Quiz one
Discuss about the generation of
electricity in pv cells or solar panels?
 Biofuels

Bioethanol and biodiesel

 1. INTRODUCTION
• Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from
biomass for transport or burning purposes.

• The two main types biofuels, ethanol and

biodiesel, account for 90% of the total
global consumption of biofuels (Dufey,
2006).

• The interest in producing biofuels in world

driven by the following factors:
 Introduction cont.
1.Concerns about the increasing price of fossil energy
sources.

2. Possible depletion of fossil energy sources.

3. Concerns about environment including climate change.

4. Desire to reduce dependence on external energy

Sources.

5. Rural development
 Biodiesel
What is biodiesel?
• Biodiesel (Greek, bio, life + diesel from Rudolf Diesel) refers to a
diesel-equivalent,

processed fuel derived from biological sources.

• Chemically, biodiesel is defined as the mono alkyl esters of long-
chain fatty acids derived from renewable bio lipids. Biodiesel is
typically produced through the reaction of a vegetable oil or animal
fat with methanol or ethanol in the presence of a catalyst to yield
methyl or ethyl esters (biodiesel) and glycerin (Demirbas, 2002).
• In technical terms (ASTM D 6751) biodiesel is a diesel engine fuel

comprised of mono alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acids derived

from vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100 and meeting
the requirements of ASTM D 6751.

Advantages:
1. 98% biodegradable
2. 3-5 x less greenhouse effect
3. Considered infinitely renewable resource
4. Miscible with gasoil( diesel)
• The major disadvantages of biodiesel are its
higher viscosity, lower energy content, higher
cloud point and pour point, higher nitrogen oxide
(NOx) emissions, lower engine speed and power,
injector coking, engine compatibility, high price,
and greater engine wear.
• The technical disadvantages of biodiesel/fossil
diesel blends include problems with fuel freezing
in cold weather, reduced energy density, and
degradation of fuel under storage for prolonged
periods.
Biodiesel Bus

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Biomass to Bioproducts

Biomass Conversion Uses

Feedstocks Processes Fuels
Ethanol
Renewable diesel
Power
Electricity
Heat
Chemicals
Plastics
Solvents
Chemical intermediates
 Trees  Enzymatic fermentation Phenolics
 Gas/liquid fermentation Adhesives
 Grasses Furfural
 Acid hydrolysis/
 Agricultural crops fermentation Fatty acids
 Gasification Acetic acid
 Residues Carbon black
 Combustion
 Animal wastes  Co-firing Paints
Dyes, pigments, and ink
 Municipal solid waste  Pyrolysis
Detergents
Food and Feed
Bioethanol production process

1. Sugar-to-Ethanol Process

• The simplest way to produce ethanol is the sugar-

to-ethanol production.
• Although fungi, bacteria, and yeast microorganisms can be
used for fermentation, the specific yeast Saccharomyces
cerevisiae (Bakers’ yeast) is frequently used to ferment
glucose to ethanol
Suga Beet pulp
Washing ,
r beet Diffusion
crushing
Raw juice

Sugar
Crystallizatio
Purification Evaporation
n

Molasses

Dilute
Bioethano Rectification Bio-
Fermentatio &Dehydratio
l Distillation ethanol
n n

Bioethanol production from sugar beet

Starch
raw
material
washing milling Mashing

Mash

Dilute Rectification &

Fermentation Bioethano Distillation Dehydration
l
Recycle sillage
Bioethanol production to mashing unit

from starchy raw

material Separation Solid
s
Starch-to-Ethanol Process
 Cellulose-to-Ethanol Process
• Besides sugar and starch, also cellulose can be converted into ethanol.
• The cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol production process is more complicated
than the sugar- or starch-to ethanol p
• Cellulosic materials are comprised of lignin, hemicellulose, and cellulose and
thus are sometimes called lignocellulosic materials.
• They have to be converted to five- and six carbon sugars, before they can be
fermented and converted into ethanol.
• There are three basic process types for conversion of cellulose to ethanol:
acid hydrolysis, enzymatic hydrolysis, and thermochemical process.
• The most common type is acid hydrolysis. Virtually any acid can be used.
However, sulfuric acid is most commonly used since it is usually the least
expensive.
Environmental Issues
• Air Quality
– Reduce NOx and SO2 emissions
• Global Climate Change
– Low/no net increase in CO2
• Soil Conservation
– Soil erosion control, nutrient retention, carbon
sequestration, and stabilization of riverbanks.
• Water Conservation
– Better retention of water in watersheds
• Biodiversity and Habitat
– Positive and negative changes

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BIOMASS AND CARBON
EMMISIONS
• 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
Green house gas emission

feedstock GHG emission

reduction
Molasses 56%
Sugar cane raw 62%
Wheat 42%
Maize 60 %
Potato 43%
 TECHNICAL IMPEDIMENTS
• Trees and other biomass is hard to gather
• There is a low output of 34% energy gain
• Development of cheap and reliable combustion techniques
that will not release pollutants
• Development of gasification techniques that incorporate
hydrogen to create syngas
• Biomass contains less energy per kilogram than fossil fuels
• Cost-inefficient to transport more than 50 miles before it is
converted to fuel
ENVIRONMENTAL DISADVANTAGES
• 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
SOLUTION
• The solution is to have decentralized
processing plants
• This means less transport of biomass
• This is more cost-efficient
• More reliable, regular, and better quality
• Less competition between companies
SUSTAINIBILITY
 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
and has the potential to supply much more.
 CONCLUSION
• Biomass is a potential alternative to fossil
fuels but it is not very viable.
• There are many problems in the development
and transportation of it and carbon is a
byproduct of processing of biomass, just like
it is a byproduct of fossil fuels.
• There are better alternative energies.
The end

Thank You
Technology
• Biomass technology today serves many
markets that were developed with fossil
fuels and modestly reduces their use

• Uses - Industrial process heat and steam,

Electrical power generation, Transportation
fuels (ethanol and biodiesel) and other
products.

• Primary focus of the Biomass Program –

development of advanced technologies.
Current Focus
• Platform technologies

• Sugar Platform Technology

• Thermochemical Platform Technology

Bio-refinery
• A facility that integrates biomass
conversion processes and equipment to
produce fuels, power, and chemicals from
biomass.

• Analogous to today's petroleum refineries

• It is based on the “Sugar Platform“ and

the “Thermochemical Platform“
Bio-diesel

• Made by transforming animal fat or

vegetable oil with alcohol .

• Fuel is made from rapeseed (canola) oil or

soybean oil or recycled restaurant grease.

• Directly substituted for diesel either as

neat fuel or as an oxygenate additive
Modified Waste Vegetable
Fat
• Designed for general use in most
compression ignition engines .

• The production of MWVF can be achieved

in a continuous flow additive process.

• It can be modified in various ways to make a

'greener' form of fuel
E-Diesel

• Uses additives in order to allow blending of

ethanol with diesel.

• Ethanol blends of 7.7% to 15% and up to 5%

• Additives that prevent the ethanol and

diesel from separating at very low
temperatures or if water contamination
occurs.
 Jatropha

• Biodiesel from Jatropha

• Seeds of the Jatropha nut is

crushed and oil is extracted

• The oil is processed and

refined to form bio-diesel.
Technology
Gasification Technology

• Gobar gas Production

• Biogas

• Synthesis gas
Gasification
• A process that uses heat, pressure, and steam to
convert materials directly into a gas composed
primarily of carbon monoxide and hydrogen.

• Gasification technologies rely four key engineering

factors
1. Gasification reactor atmosphere (level of oxygen
or air content).
2. Reactor design.
3. Internal and external heating.
4. Operating temperature.
Gasification
• Typical raw materials - coal, petroleum-based
materials, and organic materials.

• The feedstock is prepared and fed, in either dry

or slurried form, into a sealed reactor chamber
called a gasifier.

• The feedstock is subjected to high heat,

pressure, and either an oxygen-rich or oxygen-
starved environment within the gasifier.
Raw Materials for
Gasification
Gasification
• Products of gasification :
* Hydrocarbon gases (also called
syngas).
* Hydrocarbon liquids (oils).
* Char (carbon black and ash).

• Syngas is primarily carbon monoxide and

hydrogen (more than 85 percent by
volume) and smaller quantities of carbon
dioxide and methane
Gasifier Plant
Gasifier Plant
Types of Gasifiers

• Updraft Gasifier
Types of Gasifiers

• Downdraft Gasifier
Types of Gasifiers

• Twin-fire Gasifier
Types of Gasifiers

• Crossdraft gas producers

Gobar gas

• Gobar gas production is an anaerobic

process

• Fermentation is carried out in an air

tight, closed cylindrical concrete tank
called a digester
Wood
• Domestic heating with wood is still by
far the largest market for bio-energy
• Dramatic improvements of technology
in domestic heating equipment
• Improved tiled stoves, advanced
logwood boilers, woodchip boilers,
pellet boilers and pellet stoves.
• Pourable wood-based fuel is also
available
Woodchip boilers
Environmental Concerns

• Air Pollution

• Soil Deterioration
Air Concerns

• Biomass processing technologies and biofuels use have the

potential to increase emissions of ozone precursors
o Increase in Nox emissions
•Excessive inhalation of ethanol is harmful
•Combustion of ethanol would result in increased atmospheric
concentrations of carcinogens
• Emission of relatively large sized particulate matter
Soil Concerns

• Burning biomass deprives local eco-systems of nutrients

• Production of dedicated energy crops renders land fallow
• Reduced land availability for cattle grazing
•Increased use of pesticides and fertilizers to produce energy
crops contaminate ground and surface water
o Affects fish and wildlife
Environmental Benefits

•Reduction of waste
• Extremely low emission of greenhouse gases compared to
fossil fuels
• Ethanol is Carbon neutral and forms a part of the carbon cycle
• Growing variety of crops increases bio-diversity
Socio-Economic Benefits

• Helps developing economies by promoting agrarian

communities
• Increase in jobs
• Increase in trade balance (Indian perspective) due to lesser
dependence on foreign resources
 BIO FUELS

THE WORLD SCENARIO

BRAZIL

•World leader in production and export of

ethanol.
•Ethanol produced per day equivalent to
200,000 barrels of gasoline.
•24% blend ethanol mandatory.
•Competitiveness
•Bio diesel initiatives underway
U.S.A.

• Ethanol : a big boost to economy

• E85 sells cheaper than gasoline
• Currently production aimed at 4.5 Billion gallons/yr
• MTBE phased out in many states
• Soya bean main source of biodiesel
E.U.

• Rapeseed main source of bio diesel

• 3-15% blended petrol
• France: Bio diesel exempted from domestic tax
• Germany: Sales of bio diesel 99 million US gallons
• Rise of SVO as domestic fuel
The Significant Others
• China: 3rd largest producer of ethanol
producing 220,000 tons of ethanol, exporting
90,000 tons in 2000.
• In southeast Asia, the Jatropha tree is used
as a significant fuel source
• Malaysia and Indonesia are starting pilot-
scale production from palm oil.
India

• Sources of ethanol:
• Sugarcane
• Molasses
• Agricultural waste
• Low average cost of Rs.18/litre projected
• Annual production capacity of 1.5 Billion
litres
India (Contd.)
• Sources of biodiesel:
• Honge
• Jatropha
• High capital, broad scale production plan initiated
• Cost per liter projected at Rs. 27
 Bio Mass
• Biomass already supplies 14 % of the world’s
primary energy consumption. On average, biomass
produces 38 % of the primary energy in developing
countries.

• USA: 4% of total energy from bio mass, around

9000 MW

• INDIA is short of 15,000 MW of energy and it costs

about 25,000 crores annually for the government to
import oil.
• Bio Mass from cattle manure, agricultural waste,
forest residue and municipal waste.
• Anaerobic digestion of livestock wastes to give bio
gas
• Digester consumes roughly one third the power it’s
capable of producing.
• Fertilizers as by product.

• Average electricity generation of 5.5kWh per cow

per day!!
Thank You