Mehran University of Engineering and Technology

Jamshoro, Pakistan
Chemical Engineering Department

Presented by: MUJEEB-UR-RAHMAN 17CH106

Under the Supervision: Prof. Dr. Shaheen Aziz
Chemical Engineering Department
Biomass refers to the organic material that is used for production of
energy. The energy from these organisms can be burned to create
heat or converted into electricity.
Biomass is primarily found in the form of living or recently living
plants and biological wastes (MSW) Municipal solid waste from
industrial and home use. These are called biomass feedstocks.
Biomass is non-renewable energy. Once it is used it exhausted.

Feedstock + Process  Useable Energy Form

 Different organic
materials have different
forms.
Biomass Conversion
Direct combustion system, biomass is burned in a combustor or
furnace to generate hot gases, which is fed into a boiler to
generate steam, which is expanded through a steam turbine or
steam engine to produce mechanical or electrical energy.
Thermo-chemical reaction can convert the organic biomass
into more valuable and convenient form of product as gaseous
and liquid fuels, residue and by-products etc.

These processes can be carried into the following ways:

1) Gasification
2) Pyrolysis
Biomass feedstock is heated to more than 700oC (usually MSW) with a
controlled amount of oxygen. The gasification process use heat,
pressure and partial combustion to create syngas, the molecules break
down, and produces syngas and slag.
Syngas is the combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide
(CO + H2). During gasification syngas, is cleaned of sulfur,
particulates, mercury and other pollutants.
Syngas can be combusted for heat or electricity, or processed into
transportation biofuels, chemicals and fertilizers.
Slag forms as a glassy, molten liquid. It can be used to make shingles,
cement, or asphalt.
Gasification process wood waste pellets are used.
Biomass is heated to 200o to 300o C in the absence of oxygen. This
keeps it from combusting and causes the biomass to be chemically
altered.
Pyrolysis produces a dark liquid called pyrolysis oil, bio-oil or
biocrude, a synthetic gas called syngas, and a solid residue biochar or
charcoal. All of these components can be used for energy.
Syngas can be converted into methane and used as a replacement for
natural gas.
Biochar is Carbon-rich solid that is particularly useful in agriculture.
Biochar enriches soil and prevents it from leaching pesticides and other
nutrients into runoff.
In Pyrolysis three products are obtained:
1) Syngas
2) Biocrude
3) Biochar
In biochemical processes the bacteria and micro organisms are
used to transform the raw biomass into useful energy like
methane and ethane gas.
Process follows:

1) Anaerobic digestion
2) Fermentation
Process where microorganisms, usually bacteria, break down material
in the poor-oxygen environment. In this process animal dung and water
is mixed as ratio 1 : 3 to make slurry.

Bio organisms in the slurry activates. After 2 to 3 days biogas is

produced.
Biogas is the combination of (CH4+CO2+H2+H2S) which is a valuable
energy source. This methane can replace fossil fuels.
Manure digested feedstock is content of Nitrogen and Phosphorus
which is best for plants as fertilizer.
 Fermentation
Involves the conversion of a plant’s glucose or
carbohydrate into an alcohol or acid. Yeast or
bacteria and enzymes are added to the biomass
material. Ethanol is produced which can use as
diesel.

Fermentation process can be used as cattle-feed

and in the case of sugar cane can be used as a
fuel for boilers or for subsequent gasification.