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BIOFUEL

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BIOFUEL

Uploaded by

tesfamlaksolomon33
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BIOFUEL

BIOFUEL

Biologically based fuels- produced biologically (from biological materials and by


biological agents and processes). Biofuels are obtained by fermentation of plant
materials by microorganisms
N.B. Fossil fuels have caused great damage to our ecosystems, and the need to become
independent of fossil fuels is a critical environmental issue which accelerated the use of
biofuels
Another research area is degrading cellulose and hemicellulose in to monosaccharides.
This is being done by heating the plant material and treating it by acids. However, this is
both expensive and corrosive.
Biogas production
Biogas is a methane rich fuel gas produced by anaerobic breakdown or digestion of biomass
with the help of methanogenic bacteria or methanogens. Methanobacterium is a common
methanogenic bacteria.
Biogas is made up of methane (50-70%), carbon dioxide (30-40%) with traces of nitrogen,
hydrogen sulphide and hydrogen. 50% of the combustible energy present in the organic waste
can be changed into methane gas. The energy released from biogas depends upon the
proportion of methane present in it. The calorific value of biogas is 23-28 MJ/m3.
As the biogas production is an anaerobic process, it is carried out in an air tight, closed
cylindrical concrete tank called a digester. The tank has a concrete inlet basin on one side for
feeding fresh cattle dung.
There is a concrete outlet on the outer side for removing the digested sludge. The top of the
tank serves as the gas tank. It has an outlet pipe for the biogas.
Biogas generation is a three-stage anaerobic digestion of animal and other organic wastes. The
latter consist of lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose, lipids and proteins. Lignin cannot be broken down
under anaerobic conditions.
Cellulose digestion is slower than that of other substances. In the first stage of anaerobic digestion
(solubilisation), facultative anaerobic decomposer microbes bring about enzymatic breakdown of
complex organic compounds into simpler and soluble compounds often called ‘monomers’. For
this, the decomposer microbes secrete cellulases, proteases and lipases (cellulolytic, proteolytic
and lipolytic enzymes).
In the second stage (acidogenesis), the simple soluble compounds of microbial digestion or
monomers are acted upon by fermentation causing microbes. The latter change the monomers
into organic acids.
Organic acids, especially acetic acid, are acted upon by methanogenic bacteria in the third or
final stage (methanogenesis). The methane bacteria convert organic acids as well as carbon
dioxide into methane. The biogas thus formed is stored in tanks for supply.
advantages of biogas
Using organic wastes first for biogas generation has following advantages over their
direct use as fuel or fertiliser:
(i) It provides both energy and manure.
(ii) Biogas has wider applications than the direct burning of organic wastes.
(iii) The energy value of biogas is lower than that of organic matter but due to more
efficient handling, the net energy output is roughly equal to the output in direct
burning of organic wastes.
(iv) Minimises the chances of spread of faecal pathogens.
(v) The fertiliser value of the manure produced in biogas plants is similar to that of
manure formed directly from organic wastes.
(vi) Biogas use does not add to pollution.
Ethanol-based biofuel or Bioethanol
Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation from carbohydrates, sugar or starch
crops such as corn or grain, sugarcane, potato, molasses, fruit wastes, or cellulose. The
alcohol is then distilled to separate pure ethanol. Pure ethanol can be used as fuel to run
vehicles. For car engines, special engine modification is needed to use pure ethanol as
fuel. But it is usually used as a gasoline additive. it can be mixed with gasoline to any
percentage
Brazil, Zimbabwe and the USA produce ethanol as a renewable source of energy for the
motor car.
Advantages and disadvantages of ethanol-based fuels
Advantages
The advantages of bioethanol fuel are:
 It is efficient energy source
 It is a renewable resource and that produces less pollution than petrol- doesn’t
produce toxic gases when burned
 Much less polluting than fossil fuels which produce CO2, SO2 and nitrogen
oxides
 Can be mixed with petrol to make a fuel known as gasohol. This is increasingly
being done and reduces pollution.
Disadvantages
The biggest problem in using plant-based fuels for cars is that it takes a lot of plant
materials to produce ethanol. Because of this, it is limited to countries that have large
space and suitable climate to grow plants.
The main problem in many countries is finding enough ethanol. for example, if
people in Europe add 5% ethanol to their fuel, it would reduce CO2 emission but
would need 7.5 million liters of ethanol per year which they can’t produce themselves

Biodiesel
 Biodiesel is produced from animal fats, vegetable oils, or recycled greases that are
acted up on by microorganisms

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