Transcript Biofuel Resources Overview - Morrisville State College

Biofuel Resources:
Overview
R E N E WAB L E E N E R G Y
T R AI N I N G C E N T E R
http://retc.morrisville.edu
7/21/2015
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Overview
U.S. Energy sources
 Biomass defined
 Plants and solar energy storage
 Bioenergy defined
 Biomass energy sources/supply
 Dedicated bioenergy crops: food vs. fuel
 Biomass conversion processes/pathways
(general)

http://retc.morrisville.edu
7/21/2015
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U.S. Energy Sources
…a fossil-fuel dependent country (>85%)!
Source: (2005) http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/final_billionton_vision_report2.pdf
Biomass
Living matter (dead or alive); any organic
matter which is available on a renewable or
recurring basis
 A tiny, but critically important % of earth’s
matter
 For humans, an enormous energy supply
 Continually replenished by the SUN

› Through the process of: PHOTOSYNTHESIS
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Review of Photosynthesis
Conversion of light energy
into chemical energy by
living organisms
CO2
6 CO2 + 6 H2O
H2O
http://retc.morrisville.edu
C6H12O6 + 6 O2
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What are sugars used for in plants?

Primary cell walls
› Microfibrils (500,000 cellulose chains, cellulose
molecules are >6,000 sugars long)

Secondary cell walls
› Much thicker than primary walls
› Cellulose microfibrils, hemicellulose, and lignins

Starch
› Food storage in seeds (endosperm)
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Typical composition of plant matter
dry
matter
25%
water
75%
Oxygen
42%
cellulose
45%
polyphenols
2%
fats & waxes
2%
sugars &
starch
5%
lignin
20%
protein
8%
hemicellulose
18%
Types of plant compounds
(Figures adapted from: Brady and Weil, 2002)
Carbon
42%
Hydrogen
8%
Ash
8%
Elemental composition of biomass
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Plant Biomass

Plants store solar
energy through photosynthesis
as “sugars” such as cellulose and lignin.
› Cellulose is a polysaccharide (chain) of 6-carbon
sugars (e.g., glucose: see image above).
› Lignin is the substance, or “glue,” that holds cell
walls together.

When burned, these sugars break down and
release energy, giving off CO2, heat, and
steam…
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Bioenergy
 Bioenergy,
or biomass energy, is
renewable energy from biological
sources
 Biomass
energy can be converted into
electricity, heat, steam, and (liquid)
fuels
http://retc.morrisville.edu
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Biomass: Carbon-neutral Energy?
The Carbon Cycle
http://eo.ucar.edu/kids/green/images/carboncycle.jpg
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Bioenergy Supply: Global Energy Comparisons
Annual Energy Storage or Use
(EJ/yr)
3500
3000
3000
25,000 EJ total storage in land biomass
400,000 Mt/yr land biomass produced
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
451
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Biomass
Energy
Consumed
Food Energy
Consumed
0
Energy Storage Total Primary
by Land
Energy
Biomass
Consumption
http://retc.morrisville.edu
(compiled data from Boyle 2004)
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Biomass Fuel Sources

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
biomass processing residues (e.g., from pulp and
paper operations)
agricultural and forestry wastes
urban wood wastes
municipal solid wastes
landfill gas
wastewater treatment gas
animal wastes
terrestrial & aquatic crops grown solely for energy
purposes: dedicated bioenergy crops
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Solar
1%
87% of the
biomass is wood
or wood
processing
residues
Wind
3%
Biomass
50%
U.S. Energy Consumption:
Renewables (6% of total)
by Source (yr. 2005)
Hydro
41%
Geothermal
5%
U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source, 2001-2005 (Source: US Energy Information Administration www.eia.doe.gov, Accessed: 3/2008)
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National Biomass Supply
Assessment of whether
land resources in the
U.S. could sustainably
produce over 1 billion
tons of biomass
annually =
 Enough biomass to
replace ~30% of the
country’s petroleum
consumption

Source: (2005) http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/final_billionton_vision_report2.pdf
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Source: (2005) http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/pdfs/final_billionton_vision_report2.pdf
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National Biomass Supply Challenges
Meeting targets for yield
increases
 Improving production and
harvesting/transportation
efficiency
 Connecting the potential
supply with end users
 Changing attitudes of
producers
and consumers

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Food vs. Fuel
A debate over scarce resources
A
farmer has a choice; grow corn to be used
as ethanol or as a food (human or cattle or…)
› Corn can serve as a biofuel (ethanol from the
fermentation of sugars)
› As a result, land is taken out of food production
which increases the price of corn on the food
market
› What should this farmer do?
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Food vs. Fuel
A debate over scarce resources
 But,
what about a crop like willow?
› Ethanol production, combustion (heat)
gasification (heat+electricity)
› Willow grows best on which types of land?
› On which types of land do crops grow best?
› The food vs. fuel debate does not end with corn
or soybeans, but can be an issue for any
dedicated bioenergy crop
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7/21/2015
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Bioenergy, or not?
Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
No!
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Abundant, renewable vs.
Energy Dense?
Biomass is a great renewable energy source.
 However, it is typically not a good
(unprocessed) fuel, because it often contains
more than 70% air/void space.
 This results in a low volumetric energy density
makes it difficult to collect, ship, store and use.

http://retc.morrisville.edu
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Biomass Energy Density
FUEL
Bulk Density
(kg/liter)
Mass Energy Density
(MJ/kg)
Volume Energy Density
(MJ/liter)
0.19
20
3.8
0.54
20.5
11.1
0.68
20
13.6
Peanut shell pellets (3/8”)
0.65
19.8
12.9
Corn
0.76
19.1
14.5
Soybeans
0.77
21 (?)
16.2
1.1 (?)
32.5
35.7
Biodiesel
0.92
41.2
37.9
Diesel
0.88
45.7
40.2
Softwood chips
(“Denver dry”, 7% MCWB)
Coconut shell
(broken to ¼” pieces)
Sawdust pellets (¼”)
(Home Depot)
Coal
(bituminous)
(Source: Gaur and Reed, Dekker, 1998)
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Paths of Biomass Energy Conversion
SUNLIGHT
Carbon Dioxide
Water
Land (nutrients)
PRODUCT FARMING (existing)
ENERGY FARMING (potential)
Agriculture ● Silviculture ● Industry
Aquaculture ● Silviculture ● Agriculture
Farm & Forest
Products
Municipal
Wastes
BIOMASS FOR ENERGY
Residues
maceration
drying & densification
BIO-CONVERSION PROCESSES (Wet)
Extraction
Digestion
Fermentation
& Distillation
THERMAL CONVERSION PROCESSES (Dry)
Gasification
air
Chemicals
Methane
Ethanol
Low-BTU gas
Pyrolysis
Liquefaction
Combustion
Oil ● gas ●
charcoal
Oil ● gas
Heat
systems
oxygen
Med-BTU gas ● methanol ● ammonia
Needs:
CHEMICALS
GASEOUS FUELS
(adapted from: Solar Energy Research Institute, 1988)
LIQUID FUELS
SOLID FUELS
ELECTRICITY
HEAT
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Contact Information
Ben Ballard, Ph.D.
Director, RETC
Assistant Professor
Ph: 315-684-6780
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://people.morrisville.edu/~ballarbd/
Phil Hofmeyer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Ph: 315-684-6515
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://people.morrisville.edu/~hofmeypv/
http://retc.morrisville.edu