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ENERGY FROM BIOMASS

Biomass
• Biomass energy is energy produced from burning wood
or plant residue, or from organic wastes (manure, dung).
• Algae is most energy efficient form for biofuel.
Main Goals
• Production of
– Heat

– Electricity

– Biofuels
• Distillation of
biomass
Geographical Locations
Heat
• For over a century, wood
was the primary source
of energy in the U.S.
• Is still main source of
energy in South America
and Southeast Asia
• Provides 20% to 80% of
energy demand in most
countries
Biofuels
• Can be used to produce
electricity or fuel for
transportation
• Examples – ethanol,
biodiesel
• Sources (ethanol) – sugar
cane, corn, rice, sorghum,
sugar beets
• Ethanol is produced by
fermenting and distilling
sugar or starches
Economic and Food Supply Concerns
• There is not enough land area to grow crops for food and
biodiesel.
– The bulk of corn grown in the US is to provide animal feed and the
food ingredient, high fructose corn syrup.

• If farmers began to sell their corn to ethanol producers, what


would happen to the demand, and therefore, the price of corn
on the national market?
• How will this affect economics for the
– Farmer?
– Consumer?
• How and what types of products will be most affected?
Ethanol
• Most widely used biofuel
• Added to gasoline to
increase octane and
improve emissions quality
(E10 or E85 blends)
• Clean Air Act Amendments
(1990) mandated sale of
oxygenated fuels in areas
with unhealthy CO levels
• Can be used in all gasoline
engines
Biodiesel
• Produced from left over vegetable oils,
animals fats and recycled greases

• Used in diesel engines (B20 blend)


• Used in some federal, state and transit
fleets
• Neat blends are used in tourist boats
and at marinas and launches

• The Energy Policy Act (EP Act) of 1992


was amended in 1998 to allow
regulated fleets to use 450 gallons of
biodiesel/vehicle/year in order to earn
EP Act credit in order to help extend
diesel fuel supply.
Waste-to-Energy
• Combustion of garbage

• Land fill gas


– Methane produced from
decomposing garbage
can be captured and
used as a fuel source
Advantages
• Renewable energy source
• Available worldwide
• Relatively inexpensive
• Carbon neutral emissions because carbon is sequestered
by plant, then released by burning
• Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (GHG)
• Reduction in CO emissions (primary pollutant)
• Great use of waste products
• Can help boost the economy
• Can reduce dependence of foreign oil
Disadvantages
• Can NOT provide enough energy to supply large demands
• Could increase to deforestation and loss of biodiversity in
less developed countries
• Not currently developed enough to rely on as a steady
energy source
• Large land requirements
• Soil degradation
• Emissions do contain GHGs (NOx)
• Increased NOx emissions
• Net loss of energy

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