Analysis of Biomass and Biofuels as source of energy

Guests on todays show

With your favorite host

Vignesh Sridharan

K. Vaideesh Subbaraj Shivendra Upadhyay M. Vishwanath

Technology and Environmental Impact of Biomass & Biofuels

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.

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

Tiled stoves

Pellet Boilers and Stoves

Logwood boiler

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 pilotscale 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 worlds 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 its capable of producing. Fertilizers as by product. Average electricity generation of 5.5kWh per cow per day!!

Thank You