Power Generation by Biomass
From Thermal-FluidsPedia
Biomass is not only the source of our food, but also plays an important role in meeting our energy demands as a fuel. Wood can be burned directly in fireplaces or used in boilers to produce steam. Some developing countries, such as India, use animal dung for heating and cooking purposes. In more developed countries, special plants are cultivated to be used specifically as biomass fuel. These include herbaceous plants (such as sugarcane, corn, cotton, sorghum, and bamboo), aquatic plants (such as algae and seaweeds), and crop residues (wheat and rice straws, and dead and dying trees, stalks, leaves, and cobs). The most suitable plants are perennial plants such as switch grass, poplar, willow, maple, and sycamore. These plants need little fertilizer or pesticide, and can help to reduce soil erosion.
Another source of biomass fuel is municipal solid waste (trash) consisting of everyday items such as product packaging, paint, yard waste, bottles, cans, newspaper, rubber, leather, textiles and other household items (a). In 2001, the US produced 229 million tons of waste, divided equally among residential, commercial, and construction sectors (Figure 1). This represented a 2.6-fold increase since 1960, equivalent to 2.2 kg per person per day. Of all the garbage collected in the United States, roughly three-quarters is biodegradable and can be considered biomass. Over 72% of this is buried in landfills, about 15% is incinerated, and the rest is recycled or reused (Figure 2).
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References
(1) Toossi Reza, "Energy and the Environment:Sources, technologies, and impacts", Verve Publishers, 2005
Additional Comments
(a) The word “municipal” implies anything that is operated and controlled by elected local city or county officials.
Further Reading
Sims, R., Bioenergy Options for a Cleaner Environment in Developed and Developing Countries, Elsevier, 2003.
Tillman, D., Combustion of Solid Fuels & Wastes, Academic Press, 1991.
Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Energy and Agriculture, The Worldwatch Institute, 2007.
Biomass and Bioenergy, Science Direct Elsevier Science Publishing Company.
External Links
National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Biomass Research (http://www.nrel.gov/biomass).
US Department of Energy (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass).
Biomass Energy Research Association (http://www.bera1.org).
American Bioenergy Association (http://www.biomass.org).