Biomass resources characterization and biofuels

1. Biomass resources characterization and biofuels CLAUDIA BASSANO Renewable Sources and Innovative Energetic Cycles C.R. CASACCIA – Via Anguillarese, 301 TEL. + 39 06 30484042 00060 S. MARIA DI GALERIA FAX +39 06 30486486 ROMA E-Mail: claudia.bassano@alice.it

2. CONTENTS Biomass resources characterization and biofuels • What is biomass? • Biomass resources - Biomass characterization - Biofuels types - Solid biofuels pellets

3. What is biomass? Any organic matter whic is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood residues, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, animal residues, municipal residues. Biomass is produced from water and CO2by photosynthesis.

4. Photosynthesis

5. Renewable energy source Climateneutral

6. structural components 50% polymers of sugars ethanol 40 %

7. Biomass Resources Forest Wood Residues Agricultural Residues Energy Crops Forest residue Mill waste Urban wood waste Corn Stover Rice hulls Sugarcane bagasse Animal biosolids Hybrid poplar Switchgrass Willow Fonte:

8. Forest Wood Residues Forest Residues • The primary forestry residues include: • logging residues from conventional harvest operations, forest management and land cleaning.

9. Forest Wood Residues Mill Waste • Secondary forestry residues • mill wastes • pulping liquors. Urban wood waste • Tertiary forest residues : • construction and demolition debris, • unusable pallets, • tree trimmings from the urban environment

10. Agricultural Residues • Agriculture crop residues include stalks and leaves, not harvested or removed from the fields. • Examples include : • corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, • soybeans straw, sugarcane corn • agricultural tree crops (vineyards, olive and fruit groves) • Animal residues • Agro-industrial residues of food processing industry • Waste stream: rice husks, molasses & bagasse, residues from palm oil mills

11. Agricultural Residues Animal Wastes • From farms and animal processing operations • Complex source of organic materials, environmental consequences • anaerobic biodigestion bacteria biological process BIOGAS

12. Energy crops Crops used for energy purposes Herbaceous Woody Short Rotation Forestry Perennials Miscanthus, Cardoon ecc. Annual Rapeseed, Sunflower, Beet, Sorghum Cardoon

13. Energy crops • Herbaceous Energy crops • Herbaceous energy crops are: • annual(cut annually and re-sown each year) • perennials Switchgrass Cardoon Sorghum Rapeseed

14. Energy crops Herbaceous Energy crops Product: SUGAR CROPS Sorghum, sugar cane, sugar-beet bioethanol Sorghum OILY CROPS Rapeseed, sunflower, soybean Rapeseed biodiesel

15. Herbaceous Energy crops Herbaceous Energy crops yields Yield is the quantity of biomass you can have from one hectare of land The choice of the appropriate location is the most important factor driving the biomass yields of the grasses Switchgrass yields by region Miscanthus yields by region

16. Herbaceous Energy crops Herbaceous Energy crops Miscanthus and switchgrass are particularly interesting for the following reasons: • their high biomass yield potential • the concentration of the yield in one harvest, and delayed harvest is possible • their persistence and yield stability • their efficient use of resources and low input demand • the benefits of their rhizome systems.

17. Energy crops Short Rotation Forestry Short rotation forestry (SRF) are selected, fast-growing, tree species, such as willow, poplar and eucalyptus Harvested within 3 to 10 years of planting. Trees are planted very densely Poplar 6-12000 per ha Willows 10-12,000 per ha

18. Woody Energy crops

19. Woody Energy crops Short Rotation Forestry Sources: McKendry (2002); Venturi, Piero and Venturi, Gianpietro (2003). Analysis of energy comparison for crops in European agriculturalsystems. Biomass and Bioenergy, 25, 235 – 255.

20. Energy crops benefits • Environmental benefits • Marginal land recovery • protecting the land (improvesoil quality) • erosion control • less fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide than annual row crops • to purify polluted soils. (phytoremediation) • sequestration of CO2; • Economical benefits • income benefits for farmers • positive effects on local employment in rural areas for the biomass resource production

21. Energy crops disadvantages • bioenergy activity requires very deep knowledge of wide sectoral competence • High level of mechanization • Water, soil, climatic, environmental constraintslimiting the biomass productivity and the type of plants • Energy crops are less competitive • future:higher yields at lower costs • Need to adopt horizontal and vertical integration of sub-systems to improve the economic basis of bioenergy complexes

22. Energy crops Future expansion of the biomass power market The development of SRF for renewable energy production is a new sector with potential for considerable expansion, offering benefits for growers, developers, consumers, local communities and the environment. Research are focused on increase yield productivity The SRF represent one of the point on the future expansion of the biomass power market. biomass power market require the development of a feedstock supply system based on large-scale and sure production of biomass fuel.

23. Biomass characterization The biomass forms the basis of any Bioenergy application and often the physic, chemical characteristics of the fuel also define the type of technology to be used. • Characteristics affecting the properties of wood as a fuel: • heating value, • chemical composition, • moisture content, • density, • hardness, • the amount of volatile matters, • the amount of solid carbon, • ash

24. Biomass characterization Heating value . energy that is available from burning a substance High heating value (HHV) Low heating value (LHV) Value used

25. Biomass characterization Low heating value .

26. Biomass characterization Volume (m³) required to substitute one cubic meter of oil by some other fuels • 1 thermal MW • store a volume of 6.000 cubic meter of coal • store 36.000 cubic meter, which means a quantity six more

27. Biomass characterization Chemical composition proximate analysis

28. Biomass characterization Chemical composition ultimate analysis H2O CO2 NO2 SO2 ash Combustion

29. Biomass characterization

30. Biomass characterization Ash The ash composition and the ash melting behaviour should be taken into consideration to avoid slagging problems in boiler. The melting behaviour of straw and energy crops (Miscanthus) is in a range of 600- 950°C Normal wood do not start melting before 1100°C.

31. Biomass characterization Ash Source: Biomass Resource Assessment and UtilizationOptions for Three Counties in Eastern OregonOregon Department of EnergyDecember 2003

32. Biomass characterization Moisture Moisture content is an important characteristic affecting the quality of biomass fuel for thermal processes like combustion, gasification and pyrolysis.

33. Biomass characterization Moisture Moisture: influence design plant, direct cost factor, influence the price of fuel. • the more water fuel contains then lower heating value then fuel efficiency is lower • the more water fuel contains then bigger boiler volume needed -then more expensive boiler • In combustion processes, high moisture content can lead to incomplete combustion, low thermal efficiency, low flame temperatures, excessive emissions and the formation of tars that could cause slagging problems. • lower moisture content cost less to transport and can reduce the size of handling, processing and energy conversion equipment

34. Biomass energy chains Main biomass energy chains : Wood energy chain the use of dry products (cellulosic crops and residues) for thermo-chemical conversion (combustion, gasification, pyrolysis); • Liquid biofuel chain • the use of crops (oilseed rape, sunflower, sugar beet, cereals etc.) for liquid biofuel production; • Ethanol (sugar crops) • Biodiesel (oil crops) Biogas the use of wet products for anaerobic digestion.

35. Biomass energy chains

36. Biofuels types Biomass low energy density transport problem expensive Biofuels Fuel produced directly or indirectly from biomassor from their processing and conversion derivatives • Solid biofuel • Chips • Pellets • briquettes Electricity and heat production • Liquid biofuel • biodiesel bioethanol transport

37. Biofuels Main advantages of biofuels: • increase the energetic value • to lower the volume for storage • to facilitate the handling, transportation and to lower its costs • to increase the energy density to volume ratio • to eliminate the loss of material caused to fermentation

38. Biofuelschips wood chips chipped woody biomass has the form of pieces with a defined particle size produced by mechanical treatment

39. Biofuels pellets pellet Wood pellets are densified wood fuels which have been produced from sawdust, grinding dust, shavings, bark, herbaceous biomass, fruit biomass, or biomass blends and mixtures. etc.

40. The pellets production pellet production process Storing and pretreatment Drying the raw material Pellet storing Pellet cooling Source :Refined Bio-FuelsPellets and BriquettesCharacteristics, uses and recentinnovativeproduction technologies

41. The pellets production 1. raw materialsare fedinto pellet cavity 2. Rotation of die and roller pressure forces materials throughdie, compressing them into pellets 3. Pellets extruded to theoutside of the die

42. The pellets advantages • Advantages of wood fuel: • Less volume • Fewer deliveries • Consistent size and moisture content • Less ash and emissions • Pellets are dry and can be stored without degrading

43. The pellets disadvantages • Advantages of wood fuel: • Flow like a liquid • Easier to handle • Easier to ignite • Disadvantages of wood fuel: • Need large storage place • Ashes • More expensive Pellets stove

44. Biofuels chips and pellets • 1 kg of chips whit moisture 40 % LHW=10,46 MJ/kg is equivalent : • 0,28 litre oil (LHWoil =10,19 kWh/ litre) • 0,3 m3 CH4 (PCI CH4 =9,5 kWh/Nm3) • 1 kg of pellet LHW=16,92 MJ/kg is equivalent : • 0,46 litre oil • 0,49 m3 of CH4 • Confront • Chips process simpler and cheaper • Chips lower energy density, lower volumetric bulk density, more storage space

45. Biomass resources characterization and biofuels Conclusion Biomass has different origines Energy crops : future expansion of the biomass power market. Low energy density biofuels, transport problem Pellets solid biofuel: expansion market in Europe

46. Biomass resources characterization and biofuels GOODBYE Claudia Bassano claudia.bassano@alice.it