BIOMASS Karen Suarez & Sandra Mejia AP Environmental science per5

Biomass is obtained from any plant, human or animal derived organic matter that can be converted into biofuels.

Types of Biomass wood Waste material crops Landfill gases Alcohol fuels

Cost and efficiency A typical thermal biomass plant is 20% to 30% efficient. Biomass combustion efficiency to electricity would be close to 33%-37%. Costs range from $150 to $300 per kilowatt (kW) of biomass.

Equipment, Extraction & Use Biomass is burned for heating,cooking, and indrustrial processes and to make steam to drive turbines and produce energy. Ways to extract and tranform biomass: Gasification Exposing a solid fuel to high temperatures and limited oxygen to produce biogas. Pyrolysis Heating the biomass to produce pyrolysis oil and phenol oil leaving charcoal. Digestion Bacteria, in an oxygen-starved environment can produce methane. Fermentation Bio-material that is used to manufacture Ethanol and Biodiesel by an anaerobic biological process in which sugars are converted to alcohol by the action of micro-organisms, usually yeast. Solid Fuel Combustion Direct combustion of solid material. Direct combustion of solid matter where the biomass is fed into a furnace where it is burned.

It supplies 10% of the world’s energy 35% of the energy used in developing countries, and 95% of the energy needs in the poorest countries In the U.S. its supplies 3%, but the government wants to increase its use to 9%.

Large potential supply in some areas. Moderate cost. No net CO 2 increase if harvested and burned sustainable. Plantation can help restore degraded lands. Can make use of agricultural, timber, and urban waste material.

Nonrenewable if harvest unsustainable. Moderate to high environmental impact. CO 2 emission if harvested and burned unsustainably. Low photosynthetic efficiency Soil erosion, water pollution, and loss of wildlife habitat Plantations could compete with cropland Often burned in inefficient and polluting fires and stoves.

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