Biomass Conversion

Technologies
What is Biomass?
 All living and recently living
organisms, animal/plant waste,
industrial and municipal waste
 Categories
 Biofuels
 Biopower
 Bioproducts

 Biorefineries
Conversion Technologies
Biochemical Platform
(Sugar)

Biogas Platform Combined

Biomass (Anaerobic Digestion) Heat & Power,
Feedstock Fuels,
Thermochemical Chemicals,
Platform and Materials
• Pyrolysis
• Gasification

Carbon Rich Chains

Platform (Biodiesel)
Biochemical Conversion
 Plant matter – hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin
 Pretreatment
 Hydrolysis
 Sugar Fermentation
 Thermochemical Conversion
 Gasification,
Pyrolysis, Direct
Hydrothermal
Liquefaction
 Carbon monoxide
and Syngas
(Hydrogen)
 Pyrolysis
 Absence of oxygen

 Thermal
degradation

 Liquid pyrolysis oil

 Anaerobic Digestion
 Biogas Platform -
Methane
 Decomposition -
microorganisms
 Anaerobic Digesters
 Four Main
Processes
 Uses wastes and
turns into valuable
compost
Transesterification
 “Biodiesel” Platform
 Takes vegetable oil, animal fat, or grease
into biodiesel – fatty acid methyl ester
 Base catalyzed of the oil with alcohol,
direct acid catalyzed, and conversion of
the oil to fatty acids and then to alkyl
esters with acid catalysts
 Energy Crops
 Specific purpose of
producing energy
 DOE – switchgrass,
willow, poplar
 Selective breeding,
genetic engineering
Biomass Today
 Construction of large-scale Biorefineries

 Improved Catalysis Technology

 High Selectivity
 Less Energy Intensive Conditions
 Reduction of Unit Operations

 Combined Government and Industry

Efforts
Questions?
References

 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Biomass Program: Biomass

Basics, November 2006, http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass.
 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Biomass Research, November
2006, http://www.nrel.gov/biomass.
 Energy Information Administration, Biomass, August 2005,
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/biomass/biomass.h
tml.
 Dutton, Gail. Industry Takes Another Look at Biomass: New Policy
Encourage Growth of Technology, Genetic Engineering News v. 21, n.
5. March 1, 2001. http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Look-At-Biomass-
Growth.htm