Energy from Organic Fuels

1. Energy from Organic Fuels F8 Biomass Fuels

2. Other Organic Fuels • Biomass Fuel – fuel formed from the products of living organisms. • Examples – wood, garbage, methane, and alcohol. • Unlike fossil fuels, biomass fuels are a renewable resource • can be produced in large quantities specifically for use as fuels

3. Biomass Fuels • Wood • In the United States people who once used wood for fuel now use other fuels as their energy source • In developing nations where other fuels are too expensive or unavailable, people still rely on wood as a fuel source • In some parts of the world, people spend a great deal of time searching for the wood necessary to meet their energy needs

4. Biomass Fuels • Using wood has advantages and disadvantages • Wood gives off a great deal of smoke that is high in carbondioxide • Results in many smoke related illnesses • Obtaining wood can be damaging to natural forests • Trees grown specifically for use as fuel could help reduce this problem.

5. Biomass Fuels • Bioconversion – conversion of organic materials into fuels • Garbage • Much of the garbage produced in homes is composed largely of organic materials, such as paper and food scraps • About two-thirds of the material in garbage can be burned

6. Biomass Fuels • Garbage • Some cities in the US are now burning garbage to produce electricity. • Heat produced from burning garbage is used to change water into steam • Steam turns the turbines that generate electricity • Video

7. Biomass Fuels • Methane • People have long known that swamp gas is produced in swamps from decayingplants • Swamp gas is a naturally produced form of methane. • Hydrocarbon • Main component of natural gas

8. Biomass Fuels • Methane • Decaying garbage in dumps also produces methane • Today, methane is being removed from swamps and garbage dumps for use as a fuel • The methane is used the same way as naturalgas • Video

9. Biomass Fuels • Alcohol • Another example of bioconversion is the use of plants to make alcohol • Alcohol is a hydrocarbon in which one of the hydrogen atoms has been replaced with a hydroxyl, or oxygen-hydrogen group

10. Biomass Fuels • Alcohol • The alcohol called ethanol, or ethyl alcohol, is made by yeast through the process of fermentation • Ethanol is a liquid biomass fuel that burns cleanly and is a renewable resource • Manufacturers are now producing cars that run on gasohol • Gasohol is a mixture of 90 percent gasoline to 10 percent ethanol • Video

11. Section Review • Complete the questions in the section review