BIOMASS AS AN ALTERNATIVE FUEL

BY GROUP 12

What is Biomass?
Biomass is any organic matter. Including trees, plants, plant fiber, and animal wastes. Biomass is a renewable energy source

What is Bioenergy?
The energy stored in biomass is called bioenergy. Bioenergy is very versatile: It can be used to provide heat, make fuels, and generate electricity. Many bioenergy sources are replenished through the cultivation of fast growing grasses, trees, and agricultural residues like vegetable oils, wheat straw, or corn.

How Much Biomass is Out There?

The United States has enough land and agricultural networks to sustainably replace half of the nations gasoline use or all of its nuclear energy. Millions of tons of unused agricultural waste, manure, and sawdust has the potential to generate energy.

Bioenergy sources are common throughout the United states.

Biomass Sources
Every year, the agricultural industry produces millions of tons of waste that could be utilized for energy production. In addition, the forest products industry also produces countless tons of waste that can be used as an energy source. Energy crops, such as willows and switchgrass can be grown for the specific purpose of energy production.

Biomass Sources
In the Midwest, farmers grow corn and soybeans that can be used for ethanol production In the Southeast, hybrid willow trees have been used as an energy crop. In the Northwest and Northeast, the forest products industry uses its wastes and residues to make electricity and heat for its own operations.

Environmental Benefits of Biomass

No Net Increase In Carbon Dioxide

 The burning of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide captured by photosynthesis millions of years ago. In contrast, carbon dioxide released through the consumption of biomass is balanced by carbon dioxide captured in the recent growth of biomass This results in a far less net impact on greenhouse gas levels.

Environmental Benefits
(cont.)

Use of waste that would normally go to landfills. An estimated 350 million tons of waste that goes to landfills could be used for energy production Encourages the preservation of agricultural land that would otherwise be sold for development. Encourages sustainable agricultural techniques for bioenergy crops.

Economic Benefits of Biomass

Economic Benefits of Biomass $$$$$$$$$$$$

Rural economic development and stability: US spends $50 billion each year on importing oil. Biomass could replace half of this. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture estimates that 17,000 jobs are generated in the U.S. for every billion gallons of ethanol produced. Defending US access to foreign oil markets is very costly. Diversification of fuel sources would cut down on military spending and shift the focus to domestic welfare.

Biomass and The National Energy Policy

A main goal of George W. Bushs National Energy Policy is to increase the domestic energy supplies of the U.S. Biomass and biofuels can be produced within the United States. As a result, the use of biomass directly supports the National Energy Policy by reducing US dependence on foreign oil.

Dept. of Energy Biomass Program

The Biomass Program operated by the US Dept. of Energy develops technology for conversion of biomass to valuable fuels, chemicals, materials, and power. One of the main purposes of the program is to reduce US dependence on foreign oil and to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Biofuels For Transportation

Biofuels
Biomass is one of the few renewable sources for transportation fuels Biofuels produce fewer emissions than petroleum fuels The two main types of biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel

Ethanol
Also known as ethyl alcohol or grain alcohol. Ethanol is made from the starch in certain grains, such as wheat, corn, or corn byproducts. Ethanol production usually begins with the grinding up of biomass such as wheat or corn. Once ground up, the starch or cellulose is converted into sugar. The sugar is then fed into microbes that use it for food, producing ethanol in the process.

Ethanol Production Facility

Ethanol Production
The US ethanol industry produced more than 3.3 billion gallons of ethanol in 2004, up from 2.8 billion gallons in 2003. As states continue to ban the use of MTBE (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether) for use in gasoline, ethanol consumption will continue to rise. As a result, efforts to increase the supply are necessary to keep up with demand.

New Ethanol Technologies

Currently, research is being conducted for making ethanol from the cellulose (fiber) component in biomass, like municipal solid wastes and agricultural residues. This type of ethanol is called bioethanol. The use of bioethanol reduces the emission of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

Ethanol Uses
Each year, the US blends more than 1.5 billion gallons of ethanol with gasoline to improve vehicle performance and reduce air pollution

Ethanol Uses (Cont.)

Most gasoline blends contain about 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline. All vehicles are equipped to handle this mixture. Such a mixture reduces greenhouse gases by up to 4 percent.

E85 Fuel
Fuel containing 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent ethanol can be used in flexible fuel vehicles. The use of E85 fuel reduces the emission of greenhouse gases by up to 37 percent. E85 is considered an alternative fuel under the Energy Policy Act of 1992.

E85 Fuel
Vehicles that run on E85 are called Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV). Many vehicle manufacturers offer FFVs. Ford, GM, Chrysler, and Mercedes all offer FFVs. Each year car makers produce more than 700,000 flexible fuel vehicles.

Examples of FFVs
Many popular SUVs and luxury vehicles can use E85 fuel with little or no additional cost.

E85 Benefits
E85 is easy to use and handle- Fueling equipment for E85 is only slightly different then equipment used for petroleum. Reduces Petroleum ConsumptionUsing E85 reduces dependence on foreign oil markets. Environmental Benefits- E85 reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent. FFVs are available and affordable.

Various interest groups throughout the state and country are actively involved in promoting the benefits of ethanol

Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a domestically produced renewable fuel that can be made from vegetable oils, animal fats or recycled restaurant greases.

History of Biodiesel
Dr. Rudolf Diesel actually invented the diesel engine to run on a myriad of fuels including vegetable oil. In 1911, He stated: the diesel engine can be fed with vegetable oils and would help considerably in the development of agriculture of the countries which use it. He added: the use of vegetable oils for engine fuels may seem insignificant today but such oils may become in course of time as important as petroleum and the coal tar products of the present time.

Benefits of Biodiesel
A 2001 study completed by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture found that an average annual increase of 200 million gallons of soy based biodiesel demand would boost total crop cash receipts by $5.2 billion by 2010. The same increase in consumption would increase the price for a bushel of soybeans by 17 cents.

Biodiesel Today
Like ethanol, biodiesel is primarily used as a fuel blend. Most diesel blends are comprised of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. No additional modifications need to be added to a vehicle that runs on this biodiesel mixture. In addition, higher blends, even pure biodiesel can be used in many engines built since 1994 with little or no modifications.

How is Biodiesel Made?

Fats and oils are chemically reacted with methanol to produce chemical compounds known as fatty acid methyl esters. Biodiesel is the name given these esters when theyre intended for use as a fuel. Currently, there is enough feedstock to supply 1.9 billion gallons of biodiesel.

Biodiesel Production

- Much of the infrastructure for the production of biodiesel is already in place.

Emissions From Biodiesel Vehicles

Emission Carbon Monoxide Hydrocarbons
Particulates Nitrogen Oxides Air Toxics Mutagenicity

B100 -47%
-67% -48% +10% -60%-90% -80%-90%

B20 -12%
-20% -12% +2% -12%-20% -20%

Illinois Clean School Bus Grants

On September 14, 2004 Governor Blagojevich gave 19 school districts in Illinois grants for clean school buses. These grants funded a total of 114 school buses that will use biodiesel fuel.

EPA Clean School Bus Grants

The Environmental Protection Agency offers grants to school districts throughout the United States to encourage the use of biodiesel. The Olympia School District in Illinois received such a grant in 2002. Currently, all 33 of its buses use biodiesel fuel. The buses in Olympia School District travel more than 600,000 miles per year.

Biopower
Biopower is the process of using biomass (plant and organic matter) to generate electricity. Biomass has been used for lighting, cooking, and heating ever since humans first discovered fire. Today, hundreds of US power plants use biomass resources to produce 65 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

Biopower
Biomass is the single largest source of non-hydro renewable electricity. The majority of electricity produced from biomass is used as base load power in the existing electrical distribution system. More than 200 companies generate biomass power in the U.S.

Biopower
The wood and paper industries generate and use about twothirds of this power. Biomass is the single largest source of non-hydro renewable electricity.

Environmental Benefits of Biopower

Although biopower production results in increased particulate emissions, they are cleaner than coal fired power plants because they do not release sulfur dioxide. Additionally, bioenergy systems are carbon dioxide neutral because the plant material absorbs as much carbon dioxide during its life as released when it is burned to produce electricity.

Types of Biopower systems

There are three different types of biopower systems: direct-fire, cofiring, and gasification.

Direct-Fire
Direct firing involves burning biomass directly to produce steam. This steam is then captured and directed to spin a turbine that produces electricity. This system is very similar to conventional power production that produces electricity. Most of todays biopower plants use a direct combustion system

Direct fire plant

Co-Firing
Co-firing is similar to direct firing except for the fact that biomass materials are burned in combination with a fossil fuel, most often coal, in a high efficiency boiler. Utility companies use this approach to reduce overall air pollution emissions, most notably sulfur dioxide.

Gasification
Gasification systems are quite different from the other two methods. Gasification involves using high temperatures in an oxygen starved environment to convert biomass into a gas. This gas can then be used to fuel a combinedcycle gas turbine. Gasification is the preferred method given that combined gas-turbines are the most efficient of all power conversion technologies.

Gasification Plant

Future Prospects of Bioenergy

Bioenergy is generally cost competitive with fossil fuel generated electricity when biomass residue prices are very low or negative. Transportation costs are key to the price so biomass power plants must be sited near an ongoing, reliable biomass source. Most analysts believe that the economics of bioenergy will improve with higher efficiencies.

Biorefinery
A biorefinery is a facility that breaks down biomass into fuels, power, and chemicals than can be used for human use. By producing many different products, a biorefinery can take advantage of the differences in biomass components and maximize the value derived from biomass.

Biorefinery Concept

Biorefinery
To be cost effective, a biorefinery would have to be located near a specific biomass resource, like a cornfield.
Biorefineries are closely modeled after petroleum refineries. A lot of the technology for an efficient biorefinery has already been developed.

Biobased Products
Biomass can also be used to make everyday products that are usually produced using fossil fuels Any product that we can make from fossil fuels can be identically made from biomass. Moreover, biobased products most often require less energy to produce than petroleum based products.

Biobased Products
The U.S. already produces more than 300 billion pounds of biobased products each year, not including food. Examples of biobased products include: plastics, cleaning products, natural fibers, natural structural materials, and industrial chemicals. Biorefineries can be used to produce a variety of products that can be made from biomass. As a result, many people predict that biorefineries could become commonplace.

Biobased Products
DuPont has recently developed a biobased method that uses corn instead of petroleum based processes to produce a polymer platform for use in clothing, carpets, and automobile interiors. Additionally, Cargill Dow has a biorefinery in Blair, Nebraska that is currently producing polymers from corn sugar.

Local Biomass Initiatives

The Great Lakes Biomass State Regional Partnership consists of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Partnership was established by the Dept. of Energy and is designed to encourage greater production and use of biomass for energy generation.

The Great Lakes Biomass State Regional Partnership

A grant is awarded annually to each state in the partnership to promote the use of biomass and retain a project leader knowledgeable about biomass energy on the staff of each state energy office. These state offices perform resource assessments, demonstration projects, and provide technical assistance.

Biomass and the Future

More research is being conducted to improving technologies for making electricity and fuels from biomass. Some oil companies and petrochemical industries have begun to explore biomass energy. The biggest challenge is the cost of bioenergy: As long as fossil fuels remain cheaper than bioenergy, people will be hesitant to invest in this technology.

Biomass and the Future

The ability to cost effectively collect, store, and transport biomass presents many challenges. Infrastructure will have to be built to ensure a safe and efficient supply system for biomass. Currently, the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory is conducting R&D in how to develop infrastructure for biomass energy.

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