POWER PLANTS LAB

ASSIGNMENT 2

Submitted To: Dr. Fahid Riaz

Submitted By: Mohammad Shahid Munir

(2017-ME-307)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL, MECHATRONICS &

MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
UET NEW CAMPUS
 Biomass
Biomass is a key renewable energy resource that includes plant and animal material, such as wood
from forests, material left over from agricultural and forestry processes, and organic industrial,
human and animal wastes. The energy contained in biomass originally came from the sun. Through
photosynthesis carbon dioxide in the air is transformed into other carbon containing molecules
(e.g. sugars, starches and cellulose) in plants. The chemical energy that is stored in plants and
animals (animals eat plants or other animals) or in their waste is called biomass energy or
bioenergy.

 Biomass as Renewable Energy Resource

Biomass energy projects provide major business opportunities, environmental benefits, and rural
development. Feedstocks for biomass energy project can be obtained from a wide array of
sources without jeopardizing the food and feed supply, forests, and biodiversity in the world.
Agricultural Residues
Crop residues encompasses all agricultural wastes such as bagasse, straw, stem, stalk, leaves,
husk, shell, peel, pulp, stubble, etc. Large quantities of crop residues are produced annually
worldwide, and are vastly underutilized. Rice produces both straw and rice husks at the processing
plant which can be conveniently and easily converted into energy.
Animal Waste
There are a wide range of animal wastes that can be used as sources of biomass energy. The most
common sources are animal and poultry manure. In the past this waste was recovered and sold as
a fertilizer or simply spread onto agricultural land, but the introduction of tighter environmental
controls on odour and water pollution means that some form of waste management is now required,
which provides further incentives for waste-to-energy conversion.
Forestry Residues
Forestry residues are generated by operations such as thinning of plantations, clearing for logging
roads, extracting stem-wood for pulp and timber, and natural attrition. Harvesting may occur as
thinning in young stands, or cutting in older stands for timber or pulp that also yields tops and
branches usable for biomass energy. Harvesting operations usually remove only 25 to 50 percent
of the volume, leaving the residues available as biomass for energy.

Wood Wastes
Wood processing industries primarily include sawmilling, plywood, wood panel, furniture,
building component, flooring, particle board, moulding, jointing and craft industries. Wood wastes
generally are concentrated at the processing factories, e.g. plywood mills and sawmills. The
amount of waste generated from wood processing industries varies from one type industry to
another depending on the form of raw material and finished product.
Industrial Wastes
The food industry produces a large number of residues and by-products that can be used as biomass
energy sources. These waste materials are generated from all sectors of the food industry with
everything from meat production to confectionery producing waste that can be utilised as an
energy source.
Solid wastes include peelings and scraps from fruit and vegetables, food that does not meet quality
control standards, pulp and fibre from sugar and starch extraction, filter sludges and coffee
grounds. These wastes are usually disposed of in landfill dumps.
Municipal Solid Wastes and Sewage
Millions of tonnes of household waste are collected each year with the vast majority disposed of
in open fields. The biomass resource in MSW comprises the putrescibles, paper and plastic and
averages 80% of the total MSW collected. Municipal solid waste can be converted into energy by
direct combustion, or by natural anaerobic digestion in the engineered landfill.

 Biomass Conversion Technologies for Bioenergy Generation

Biomass can be converted into several useful products for energy generation and chemicals.
There are some factors that influence the choice of a conversion technology to be applied on the
biomass. These factors include quality and quantity of the biomass feedstock, availability, choice
of end-products, process economics and environmental issues
Thermochemical methods
The major options within thermochemical biomass conversion processes include combustion,
gasification, pyrolysis, and liquefaction.

Gasification
The process of biomass gasification was discovered independently in France and England by the
year 1798. The technology did not come into its limelight until 60 years later. The gasification
process continued flourishing until 30 years later when natural gas from oil fields was
discovered. Until 1970, the use of natural gas for cooking and lighting was substituted with
liquid fuels due to discovery of oil. Generally, biomass gasification is an endothermic
thermochemical conversion of solid biomass fuel using gasifying agents such as air, steam or
CO2 to form a mixture of combustible gases which may include H2, CH4, CO and CO2. The
process is carried out at temperatures between 800 and 1300°C. Nowadays, flexibility of the
gasification technology coupled with the different uses of the produced syngas, allows for the
integration of biomass gasification with many industrial processes and as well with power
generation systems
Hydrothermal gasification
Hydrothermal gasification is a biomass treatment that involves the use of water at high
temperatures and pressures. Products formed during this process is as a result of different
reactions that takes place in the biomass which mainly depends on factors like temperature,
pressure, and time of treatment. To understand the process, behavior of water at high temperature
and pressure must be known.
Pyrolysis
The term pyrolysis is defined as the thermal depolymerization of organic matter in the presence
of nitrogen or absence of oxygen. Pyrolysis is an exothermic reaction with heat requirements that
ranges between 207 and 434 kJ/kg of which many wood based and agricultural biomass were
heated in an inert atmosphere to produce vapours and a carbon rich residue. The vapours
composed of fragments from cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin polymers. These vapours can be
condensed into free flowing organic liquid known as the bio-oil.

Biochemical methods
Biochemical biomass conversion technologies refer to conversion of biomass through biological
pre-treatments. These pre-treatments were aimed to turn the biomass into a number of products
and intermediates through selection of different microorganisms or enzymes.
Digestion
Anaerobic digestion (AD) is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective technology for
lignocellulosic and other form of waste treatment for energy recovery in form of biofuels. This
process does not only minimize the amount of waste, but also transforms such waste into
bioenergy. Also, the digestives produced during the process are rich in nutrients, which can serve
as fertilizer for agriculture.
Fermentation
Fermentation is a biological process that is commonly facilitated by secretion of enzymes
sourced from microorganisms which converts simple sugars to low molecular weight structures
such as alcohols and acids. The fermentation of two most common sugars follow the two
reactions below:
Glucose: C6H12O6→2C2H6O+2CO2Glucose:C6H12O6→2C2H6O+2CO2E1
Xylose: 3C5H10O5→5C2H6O+5CO2Xylose:3C5H10O5→5C2H6O+5CO2E2

 Biodiesel
Made from an increasingly diverse mix of resources such as recycled cooking oil, soybean oil
and animal fats, biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that can be used in
existing diesel engines without modification. It is the nation’s first domestically produced,
commercially available advanced biofuel.
A Technical Definition
Biodiesel, n - a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived
from vegetable oils or animal fats, designated B100, and meeting the requirements of ASTM D
6751.
Producing Biodiesel
Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is
separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products – methyl esters
and glycerin.
Methyl esters is the chemical name for biodiesel and glycerin is used in a variety of products,
including soap.
Current Production
Biodiesel production spans across the US and has grown to more than 125 plants with the
capacity to produce 3 billion gallons. In 2018, the US biodiesel industry produced 2.6 billion
gallons of biodiesel. Production isn’t only about gallons produced, but also about the economic
benefits to the US. The biodiesel industry supports nearly 60,000 jobs and generates billions of
dollars in GDP, household income and tax revenues.
Biodiesel Availability
Biodiesel is available nationwide and blends over 4 percent are required to be labeled at the
pump. Look for the Black and Blue biodiesel sticker when filling up. Biodiesel can be purchased
through distributors or at retail locations.

 Biomass gasification
Biomass gasification is a process of converting solid biomass fuel into a gaseous combustible gas
(called producer gas) through a sequence of thermo-chemical reactions. The gas is a low-heating
value fuel, with a calorific value between 1000- 1200 kcal/Nm3 (kilo calorie per normal cubic
metre). Almost 2.5-3.0 Nm3 of gas can be obtained through gasification of about 1 kg of air-
dried biomass. Since the 1980's the research in biomass gasification has significantly increased
in developing countries, as they aim to achieve energy security.There are 2 main types of
biomass gasifiers
Salient Features of TERI's biomass gasifier:

 Throat-less patented design

 Multi-fuel capability

 Low initial investment

 Better conversion (solid gas) efficiency (>75%)

 Production of clean gases in the exhaust

 Available in both, downdraft and updraft mode

 Can be customized for a variety of applications

o Thermal application to meet the process heat requirement

o Power application for rural electrification and captive use

o Shaft powder

 Reduced deforestation through fuel wood savings

 Substantial reduction in diesel/kerosene/furnace oil cost (since 3-4 kg of biomass can

replace 1 liter of petroleum fuel)

 Use of cast able insulation material in the fire box capable of withstanding high
temperatures (up to 1860°C)