Power Plants Lab

Department of Mechanical, Mechatronics and

Manufacturing Engineering

Submitted to: Dr. Fahid Riaz

Submitted by: 2018-ME-318(A) Talha

Mustafa

Submission Type: Assignment

University of Engineering and Technology,

Lahore (New Campus)

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Biomass:
Biomass is basically the organic matter and the energy obtained from biomass is known as
biomass energy via its utilization. It can be eaten, burnt or can be transformed to fuels. Also, it is
a clean and renewable source of energy which generates much lesser harmful emissions
comparative to fossil fuels. Unlike released carbon dioxide of fossil fuels, biomass generated
carbon dioxide is balanced by capturing at the time of its recent growth. So, biomass is a
sustainable energy source which can be utilized for the production of power, biomaterials, heat,
transport fuels and it also contributes for the mitigation of climate changes. Currently, bio mass
driven combined heat and power, Co-firing and combustion power plants provide reliable
efficient and clean power and heat.

Source:
Biomass can be obtained from trees, agricultural crops, wood factory waste, burnt wood from the
forest fires, animals, animal droppings etc.

Figure 1 Biomass

Types of biomass;
1. Wood and agricultural products
2. Solid waste
3. Landfill gas and bio gas
4. Ethanol
5. Biodiesel
Biomass conversion technologies:

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1. Thermal Conversion is the use of heat, with or without the presence of oxygen, to convert
biomass into other forms of energy and products. These include direct combustion, pyrolysis,
and torrefaction.
2. Thermochemical Conversion is commonly referred to as gasification. This technology uses
high temperatures in a controlled partial combustion to form a producer gas and charcoal
followed by chemical reduction. A major use for biomass is for agriculture residues with gas
turbines. Advanced uses include production of diesel, jet fuel and chemicals.
3. Biochemical Conversion involves the use of enzymes, bacteria or other microbes to break
down biomass into liquids and gaseous feedstocks and includes anaerobic digestion and
fermentation. These feedstocks can be converted to energy, transportation fuels and renewable
chemicals.
4. Chemical Conversion involves the use of chemical agents to convert biomass into liquid
fuels which mostly is converted to biodiesel.

Biomass wastes can be transformed into clean and efficient energy by biochemical as well
as thermochemical technologies.
Some energy conversion technologies are:
1. Combustion:
Biomass combustion simply means burning organic material. ... On a larger scale,
biomass-fed boilers can be used to meet hot water needs, heat a building or generate steam to
power equipment. Many farmers are choosing to use them as the primary heat source in
greenhouses, where they heat very large spaces.

Figure 2 Combustion

2. Gasification:
Biomass gasification is a mature technology pathway that uses a controlled process
involving heat, steam, and oxygen to convert biomass to hydrogen and other products,
without combustion. ... The U.S. Department of Energy anticipates that biomass gasification
could be deployed in the near-term timeframe.

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Figure 3 Gasification

3. Anaerobic digestion:
Anaerobic digestion is another method of converting biomass into energy. In this process,
organic material is broken down by bacteria, in the absence of oxygen, to create methane-rich
biogas. This can then be burned to generate heat and electricity.

Figure 4 Anaerobic digestion

4. Liquid biofuels:
The term liquid biofuel is referred to biomass-to-liquid fuel (BTLF). Liquid biofuels may
offer a promising alternative. Liquid biofuels are substitute fuel sources to petroleum;
however some still include a small amount of petroleum in the mixture.

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Figure 5 liquid biofuel

Biomass energy and biofuels utilization associated benefits:

 GHG emissions mitigation
 Energy security benefits
 Potential impacts on waste management strategy
 Waste to clean energy
 Technological advancement in thermal and biochemical processes for waste-to-energy
transformation

Biomass can play the pivotal role in production of carbon-neutral fuels of high quality as well as
providing feedstock for various industries. This is a unique property of biomass compared to
other renewable energies and which makes biomass a prime alternative to the use of fossil fuels.
Performance of biomass-based systems for heat and power generation has been already proved in
many situations on commercial as well as domestic scales.
The most common technique for producing both heat and electrical energy from biomass
wastes is direct combustion. Thermal efficiencies as high as 80 – 90% can be achieved by
advanced gasification technology with greatly reduced atmospheric emissions. Combined heat
and power (CHP) systems, ranging from small-scale technology to large grid-connected
facilities, provide significantly higher efficiencies than systems that only generate electricity.
Biochemical processes, like anaerobic digestion and sanitary landfills, can also produce clean
energy in the form of biogas and producer gas which can be converted to power and heat using a
gas engine.
n addition, biomass wastes can also yield liquid fuels, such as cellulosic ethanol, which can be
used to replace petroleum-based fuels. Cellulosic ethanol can be produced from grasses, wood
chips and agricultural residues by biochemical route using heat, pressure, chemicals and enzymes
to unlock the sugars in lignocellulosic biomass. Algal biomass is also emerging as a good source
of energy because it can serve as natural source of oil, which conventional refineries can
transform into jet fuel or diesel fuel.