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Biomass:-
All organic matter generated through photosynthesis and other
biological processes. The total biomass produced annually by land and
aquatic plants is equivalent to energy content of (2.6-3.5)x1021 J, which is
the ten times the world’s present consumption of energy.
Biomass is being used as a source of primary energy all over the
world since ancient times. The biomass is a principal source of energy
in the rural sector of India. India has abundant supply of several types of
crop residues.
The largest potential can be found in energy from biomass is 17000
mw and over 273mt of crop residues are generated annually through
agriculture.
India has approximately 141 million ha. Of arable land and
agricultural output is around 800 mT, which in itself generates 750MT of
waste. about which 300MT could be used for biomass generation.
The biomass conversion technologies mainly include biochemical,
chemical, thermal and thermo chemical processes.
Major biomass recourses in India
Biomass Availability Coal equivalent
(tonnes/year) (tonnes/year)
Agricultural residues
Rice straw 90.0 58.4
Rice husk 19.9 15.7
Jute sticks 2.5 2.3
Wheat straw 50.5 37.5
Cotton stalks - -
Linters and hulls 13.0 11.0
Agro- industrial by-products
Bagasse 28..1 22.4
Molasses 2.1 0.8
Coconut husk and shell 1.0 1.1
Oilseed cakes 6.7 0.9
Sawdust 2.0 3.4
Cattle-dung (wet) 1.335.0 128.0
Forest products/residues
Mahua flower 1.0 0.4
Leaves, tops, etc. 3.3 3.0
Total 1.555.1 284.9
Biomass conversion
Thermo chemical Conversion
a) Direct Combustion
eg. wood waste and bagasses.
b) Pyrolysis :- Heating the biomass with limited oxygen to produce
low heating value or reacting it with steam and oxygen at high
pressure and temperature to produce medium heating value gas.
c) Liquefaction:- Fuel getting from gasification process used in
liquefaction by converting it to methanol or ethanol.
Biochemical conversion
a) Anaerobic digestion: microbial digestion of biomass.
b)Alcoholic Fermentation:- The breakdown of complex molecules
in organic compound under the influence of a ferment such as
yeast, bacteria, enzymes etc.
Biochemical Conversion:
It takes place in two forms:
1. Chemical synthesis
• The primary synthetic route is the catalytic
hydrolysis of ethylene derived from petroleum.
CH2=CH2 + H2O ―› CH3CH2OH
• Other raw materials used are Natural gas, Coal,
Oil shales and Tar sands etc.
• The annual production of ethanol by this method
is from 40 M l to 450 M l.
2. Fermentation method
Raw materials-
i) Sugar containing material
ii) Carbohydrates (Starch)
iii) Lignocellulic material
iv) Urban and industrial wastes
Grinding Yeast
Fermentable sugar Enzymes
Sterilization
Cooking Cooling
Hydrolysis
Low
alcohol
beer
Byproduct
Concentration
Centrifuge Distillation
Evaporation Alcohol
Dehydration
World Ethanol production by 2004:
Country Billion liters
Brazil 18.1
United states 16.1
China 4.4
India 2.1
Russia 0.9
South Africa 0.5
Soudi Arabia 0.4
Thailand 0.4
Biomass gasification
Biomass gasification means incomplete
combustion of biomass resulting in
production of combustible gases consisting
of Carbon monoxide (CO), Hydrogen (H2)
and traces of Methane (CH4). This mixture
is called producer gas.
Theory of Gasification:
Combustible Co,H2,
material
Non useful material
Cross-draught gasifier
Gasifier has narrow section below air entrance point in the reactor,
which is called throat. Due to decrease in the cross-sectional area at
the throat, air velocity increases resulting high and better temperature
distribution in the oxidation zone
Down draft gasifier with throat is not suitable for gasification of agro-
residues like paddy husk, groundnut shell etc. A without throat down draft
gasifier was conceived for the gasification paddy husk, groundnut shell.
Cross draft gasifier:
MOTIVE POWER
GASIFIER GENERATION
MOTIVE
GRINDING
OTHER
MECHANICAL
DRIVE