Biomass

1. Biomass Biomass is any plant and animal waste that has been derived from the sun Energy Kyle Coughlin, Matthew Rumsey, Anthony Grace 7B

2. Introduction to Biomass • Biomass energy is renewable, which means we can make more biomass in a short time. For Example, We can always grow more plants. • Biomass is not fossilized material (like oil, coal and gas) but fresh material that can grow again after having been harvested. • Biomass is also a sustainable and potentially environmentally sound resource. • The most familiar forms of renewable energy are wind and sun energy, but Biomass is the oldest source of renewable energy. • Biomass is all plant and animal matter on Earth’s surface. • Biomass is anything that is alive and also something that was alive a short time ago. • Biomass supplies 14% of energy throughout the entire world, and 4% of the United States alone.

3. Biomass Sources...... • Grass • Leaves • Wood • Woodchips • Rice Husk • Peanut Shells • Sugarcane Fiber • Plant Waste • Animal Waste • Forests • However, transferring wood from forests to the area of biomass production is expensive

4. Extracting Biomass • Extracting energy from biomass is an ancient practice, dating back to when people first burnt wood to provide heat and light. • One of the direct and oldest ways of extracting biomass energy is by burning the sources to get heat. The other non combustible methods are through thermal, chemical and biochemical methods. • Extracting Biomass in rural areas is labor intensive and hard work, but it can be a beneficial act by creating more jobs in the community

5. Fun Facts • Biomass, when burned (or extracted by using a noncombustible way)can be used to produce • Heat • Light • Electricity • Steam • For the working of refinery. • Biomass can be used to make energy-rich gas called biogas. Biogas is quite like natural gas that we use in the kitchen. • There is another form of fuel that biomass can be transformed into. Corn and wheat can be transformed into ethanol that is similar to gasoline. Other than this, biodiesel and methanol are other liquid forms of biomass energy. • Biomass energy will help the world cut down on waste production and emission of greenhouse gases. • Chemically, biomass is made of complex polymers of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It also contains small amounts of nitrogen and inorganic materials.

6. More Fun Facts • The most common form of biomass is wood. For thousands of years people have burned wood for heating and cooking. • Wood was the main source of energy in the United States and the rest of the world until the mid-1800s. Wood continues to be a major source of energy in much of the developing world. • In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a company called BFC Gas & Electric recycles more than 150 tons of biomass material every day to produce electricity for about 4,000 homes. • Switch grass is burned along with coal to make steam for the generators. • Almost half of the renewable energy produced in the United States comes from biomass sources, like wood and paper products.

7. Facts • Biomass fuels provided about 4% of the energy used in the United States in 2010. • Of this, about 46% was from wood and wood-derived biomass, 43% from biofuels (mainly ethanol), and about 11% from municipal waste. • Researchers are trying to develop ways to burn more biomass and less fossil fuels. • Using biomass for energy may cut back on waste and greenhouse gas emissions. • About 80% of the wood and wood waste fuel used in the United States is consumed by industry, electric power producers, and commercial businesses. • The rest (20%), mainly wood, is used in homes for heating and cooking. • Methane is one of the greenhouse gases associated with global climate change. • Methane gas is the main ingredient of natural gas.

8. Facts cont. • Biogas is a gas composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide that forms as a result of biological processes in sewage treatment plants, waste landfills, and livestock manure management systems. • Using wood, and charcoal made from wood, for heating and cooking can replace fossil fuels and may result in lower CO2 emissions. • Biomass energy can be also released by converting it into methane or ethanol at biomass energy plants which can even help to prevent the buildup of greenhouse gases since methane gas that's released in landfills.

9. Beneficiaries • Biomass does not depend on Fossil Fuels like our main resources do. • Biomass converts waste into fuel which is one of the best qualities of Biomass. • It can help cut down the ever-rising costs of gasoline (fuel) or electricity. • The best quality about Biomass is that it is renewable. • Biomass is formed from carbon dioxide that is absorbed by plants though the process of photosynthesis which is released back into the air once it is burnt. • It is also cost effective which means that it is inexpensive compare to coal and oil because you don’t have to go through a rigorous process of extracting it from the earth. • Another benefit is that of availability, it is available in large quantities all over the world, which means large pipelines across country boarders and oceans are not necessary. (Like coal and oil)

10. Beneficiaries cont. • The price of fossil fuels has no bearing on the price of biomass and in the past ten years the price has stayed the same which cannot be said for fossil fuels. • There are always organic wastes available to produce biomass energy, which make biomass accessible. • Some people use biomass to heat their homes and for cooking. • As we use up most of the world’s fossil fuel, biomass energy and other alternative renewable energy will become more common.

11. Disadvantages • To fully harvest biomass it requires a lot of space to undergo a lot of processes. • Some materials needed to extract Biomass are not available year round, that is the biggest issue with crop waste. • The cost of extraction of Biomass is very expensive, but not nearly has expensive as coal or oil. • Some of the gases like carbon-dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are emitted into the atmosphere during biomass production which may damage the ozone layer. It may contribute to global warming. • The set up of a biomass power plant requires huge space and the recycling of wastes requires a large amount of water. • Another biomass energy disadvantage is that the ethanol produced during the process, may increase the levels of nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere. • Although, biomass can produce 10 times more energy than the sun or wind, it is also known to release the highest levels of gases that contribute to global warming.

12. Biomass can be used for...... • Electricity • Gasoline • Fuel • Light • Heat • Bio power • Biodiesel • Biogas • Biofuel

13. Equipment needed for Harvesting Biomass • Biomass can be burned directly in a boiler, or a gasifier can be utilized to produce syngas that can be used for a substitute fuel. • Biomass is one of the more difficult materials to handle, and is especially obedient to Newton's first and third laws: "Every object in a state of uniform motion tends to remain in that state of motion unless an external force is applied to it.“ • This means there are multiple external forces that prevent biomass from staying in motion. "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction," which means that once in place, biomass tends to stay in place.

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