Biomass is a renewable energy source that is made from living, recently living things and waste. Plants collect energy from the sun through a process called photosynthesis. To release this energy, biomass must be burned or converted through one of many processes.
Most feedstocks (materials used to create biomass energy) can be made into liquid fuels, heat, electric power, and/or biobased products. This makes biomass a flexible and widespread resource that can be adapted locally to meet local needs and objectives.
Examples of feedstock...
(Organic volatiles are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature.)
Examples of feedstock...
- Grains and starch crops (sugar cane, corn, wheat, sugar beets, industrial sweet potatoes, etc.)
- Agricultural residues (Corn stover, wheat straw, rice straw, orchard prunings, etc.)
- Food waste (waste produce, food processing waste, etc.)
- Forestry materials (Logging residues, forest thinnings, etc.)
- Animal byproducts (Fish oil, manure, etc.)
- Energy crops (Switchgrass, miscanthus, hybrid poplar, willow, algae, etc.)
- Urban and suburban wastes (municipal solid wastes, lawn waste, urban wood wastes, etc.)
(Organic volatiles are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature.)
Biomass contains stored energy. That's because plants absorb energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. When biomass is burned, this stored energy is released as heat.
For energy production, a feedstock must be converted using one of these following processes...
Combustion
• The most common way to generate bioenergy.
• This is the process where feedstock is burned in the presence of air, to release heat.
• First, the feedstock is burned to heat the water.
• Then, the water creates steam which spins the turbine.
• The steam powers a generator.
• And lastly the electricity is stored and is ready for use.
• Combustion can be used to heat steam, for electricity generation.
• The most common way to generate bioenergy.
• This is the process where feedstock is burned in the presence of air, to release heat.
• First, the feedstock is burned to heat the water.
• Then, the water creates steam which spins the turbine.
• The steam powers a generator.
• And lastly the electricity is stored and is ready for use.
• Combustion can be used to heat steam, for electricity generation.
Gasification
• The process of using heat, pressure, and partial combustionn to convert feedstock into a combustible gas mixture called syngas.
• The syngas can be used in the place of natural gas for heating, electricity and other uses.
Pyrolysis
• The process of heating feedstock at high-temperatures without air.
• Since no oxygen is present, the organic material doesn't combust.
• Instead, the chemical compounds decompose into three forms:
• A liquid called bio-oil,
• A solid called bio-char,
• And a gas called syngas.
• The process of heating feedstock at high-temperatures without air.
• Since no oxygen is present, the organic material doesn't combust.
• Instead, the chemical compounds decompose into three forms:
• A liquid called bio-oil,
• A solid called bio-char,
• And a gas called syngas.