Renewable energy biomass

Prepared by

Wan, Man Pun

Assistant Professor
School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
MA0100 Environmental Sustainability

Biomass
All non-fossil material of biological origin
Solar energy, converted to chemical energy by photosynthesis, is stored
in a variety of organic materials (biomass)

Million ton oil equivalent (Mtoe)

World primary energy supply, 1971 - 2010

10%

*Other includes wind, solar, geothermal, etc.

2
[IEA, 2012]

Biomass
Global carbon cycle

Global fast carbon cycle (in Gt/year)

3
[earthobservatory.nasa.gov]

Biomass resources
Metabolic pathways for carbon fixation in photosynthesis
C3 system

Produces
3-carbon organic acid (3phosphoglyceric acid) from
carbon fixation
E.g., rice, wheat, potato,
etc.

represents 95% of Earths plant

biomass.
Most common in temperate and cold
climate.
Utilizes 1530 mg CO2/dm2/h with
light saturation already at 0.82.4
J/cm2/min

C4 system

Produces 4-carbon organic

acids (malate
and aspartate) from carbon
fixation
E.g., sugarcane, maize, etc.

represents 3% of Earths plant

biomass.
More common in warm climate.
Utilizes 70100 mg CO2/dm2/h with
light saturation around 4.25.9
J/cm2/min

CAM
(Crasulacean
Acid
Metabolism)
system

Produces 4-carbon organic

acids (malate
and aspartate) from carbon
fixation
E.g., pineapple, sisal, etc.

Can capture light during the day and

later fix the CO2 during the night

Biomass resources
Wastes from crops used primarily for food

[http://www.wikipedia.com]

Biomass resources
Energy crop
Plants that are low cost and low maintenance to grow and harvest, and
have high energy content.
Solid biomass
High-yield crop species burnt to generate power

Poplar
Elephant grass
6

Biomass resources
Energy crop
Gas biomass
Energy crops used for production of biogas in anaerobic digesters.
E.g., maize, wheat, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.
Bio-diesel
E.g. copra, oilseed rape, sunflower, soya, peanut, mustard seed, etc.
Bio-ethanol
E.g. switchgrass, maize, sugarcane

Copra (coconut kernel)

7

Sugarcane

Biomass resources
Animal waste
Biogas production from animal
waste

Algae
Photosynthetic organisms that
span length scales from just a
few microns up to 50 m

Chlorella (single-cell microalgae)

[http://international.bio-energie.de]

Kelp (macroalgae)

Biomass composition
Biomass
Can be > 50%

Ultimate
analysis

Proximate
analysis

Biomass energy utilization

Biomass energy technologies:
- Firing and co-firing
- Gasification/pyrolysis
- Fermentation
- Production of other fuels

10

Firing and co-firing

Biomass combustion
Fuel

Net Calorific
Value by mass
(MJ/kg)

Adiabatic flame
temperature
(oC)

Wood chips (30% MC)

12.5

530-840

Wood pellet (10% MC)

16.4

1,140

Grass (18% MC)

13.7

1,020

Straw (15% MC)

14.5

1,065

Anthracite

33.0

2,180

Heating oil

42.5

2,100

Propane gas

46.1

2,392

MC moisture content

11

Firing and co-firing

Biomass as fuel for domestic cooking and heating

Wood as fuel for cooking and heating

Dung as fuel for cooking

Yak dung being dried

12

Firing and co-firing

Common types of modern furnace

Fixed-bed
furnace

[http://www.rath-group.com]

[http://www.ihi.co.jp/denryoku/fig26.jpg]

Fluidized-bed furnace
Cyclone furnace
[http://www.canadianbiomassmagazine.ca/images/
stories/2009/June2009/WellonsCombustorCellProcess.jpg]

13

Firing and co-firing

Common types of modern furnace

[http://www.sciencedirect.com]

Sloping-grate furnace

14

Gasification/pyrolysis
Gasification processes
1. Dehydration removal of moisture content at about 100oC
2. Pyrolysis release of volatile content and formation of char. 200
300oC
3. Combustion combustion of volatile content and some of the char
with the addition of oxygen to provide energy for the subsequent
gasification process. Carbon dioxide (CO2) formed.
4. Gasification char reacts with carbon and steam (from step 1) to
form carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2)
5. Further reactions occur when the formed CO and residual water
from the organic material react to form methane (CH4) and excess
CO2

15

Gasification/pyrolysis
Biomass gasifiers

[http://www.ashden.org]
16

Gasification/pyrolysis
Wood gas
Element

% by volume

Nitrogen

50.9

Carbon monoxide

27.0

Hydrogen

14.0

Methane

3.0

Carbon dioxide

4.5

Oxygen

0.6

Car with a wood gasifier in its trailer

Net calorific value: 5.7 MJ/kg

Remind you this?

Car ran on wood gas during WWII

[http://www.drboblog.com/wp17
content/uploads/2013/01/mr-fusion-back-tothe-future.jpg]

Fermentation
Fermentation of sugar
Anaerobic (process conducted under the absence of oxygen)
degradation of sugars (glucose, sucrose and fructose) by yeast with
ethanol and carbon dioxide as by products.

Feedstock
Sugarcane, sugar beet
Starchy plants: potato, corn, cassava

[http://www.hitachizosen.co.jp]

Fermenting sugar
18

Fermentation
Commercialized ethanol fuel mixtures

Major bio-ethanol producers

[http://www.wikipedia.org]

19
[Asia Biomass Office]

Biodiesel
Biodiesel production process

Crops for biodiesel production

and potential annual production
Crop

Liter/Ha/year

Palm

5238

Jatropha

1684

Castor

1216

Canola

1076

Sunflower

842

Soybean

561

[http://teenbiotechchallenge.ucdavis.edu]

Palm trees

Jatropha

20

Biodiesel
Biodiesel net calorific values
Diesel type

Net calorific
value (MJ/kg)

No.2 diesel (petroleum diesel)

42.5

B2 blend biodiesel
(2% biodiesel, 98% petroleum diesel)

42.3

B20 blend biodiesel

(20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel)

41.4

Biodiesel (B100)

37.5

Light-blend
No / minor
modification to
equipment
needed
Equipment
modifications using
biodieselcompatible
materials

Gas station providing ethanol fuel and biodiesel

21

Biodiesel
Major biodiesel producers

[Asia Biomass Office]

22

End

23