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EngiTech
Renewable Energy Technology Learn
Course Lecture Series Plex

Module 4.1: Biomass Energy 2

Prepared by
Engr. Dr. Muhammad Farhan

@farhan. M 1
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Animal Waste, Urban Waste

• Animal waste, an organic material with combustible property, is a rich source
of fuel.
• Dung cakes prepared with animal waste are used for cooking in rural and
semi-urban areas. It is also a raw material for biogas plants
• Urban waste is of two types:
• (i) Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) which includes human dung, household
garbage and commercial waste,
• (ii) Liquid Waste from domestic sewage and sewages from institutional
activities.
• At present MSW is dumped in sanitary landfills, where fuel gas is produced
which is a valuable source of renewable energy.
• Sewage is suitably processed to produce biogas.
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@farhan. M 2
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Industrial waste
• Pulp and Paper Industry Waste, Starch and Glucose Industry Waste, Palm Oil
Industry, Distillery Waste and foundry Waste. Each project is aimed to treat
its waste for the production of bio-energy which can be used for power
generation

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Biofuels
• Biomass is an organic carbon-based matter obtained from plants.
• Biomass is a source of energy and some of the total energy consumed in
Pakistan comes from wood, crop residues, cow dung, etc. for cooking and
various domestic uses.
• Dry biomass gives heat energy by direct combustion.
• Direct burning of firewood in traditional chulhas utilizes only 10% heat.
Besides inefficient burning, smoke discharge in kitchens is a health hazard.
• To harness fuel value, technologies are required to convert biomass into a
high quality usable solid, liquid and gaseous fuels called ‘biofuels’.
• Such fuels are discussed next.
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@farhan. M 4
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Charcoal
• Charcoal is a smokeless dry solid fuel
with high energy density.
• Modem charcoal (furnaces) operate
at about 600°C to produce charcoal
from 25-35% of dry biomass feed.
• It contains 75-80% carbon and is
useful as a compact fuel. It can be
burnt to provide heat for domestic,
commercial and industrial
applications

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@farhan. M 5
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Charcoal Briquetting
• Biomass briquetting is
densification of loose biomass
into a high density solid fuel.
Biomass of any form such as
cotton sticks, rice husk, coconut
shells, saw dust and wood chips
can be converted into briquettes.
• It reduces the volume-to-weight
ratio, thus making transportation
easy for efficient commercial and
industrial use
• Vegetable oils such as rapeseed,
palm, coconut and cotton seed oil
can substitute diesel as engine
fuel.
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@farhan. M 6
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Biogas
• Biogas can be produced by digestion of animal, plant and human waste.
• Digestion is a biological process that takes place in a digester with anaerobic
organism in absence of oxygen at a temperature between 35°C and 70°C.

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@farhan. M 7
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Biogas
• In rural areas, household biogas plants operate from cow and buffalo dung
which provide gas for cooking and lighting.
• Biogas is a mixture of

• Having a calorific value between 5000 and 5500 kcal / kg.

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Liquid Fuel (Ethanol)

• Ethanol (C2H5OH) is a
flammable colourless biofuel.
It can be produced by
fermentation of any feedstock
which contains sugar or starch
and even cellulose material.
• Biomass containing sugar are:
sugar-beets, sugarcane, sweet
sorghum (Jawaar); starch crop
covers corn, wheat, and
potato.
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@farhan. M 9
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Liquid Fuel (Ethanol)

• Cellulose is found in all plant
tissues, is available in wood, solid
waste and agriculture residues.
• Ethanol is suitably used as a fuel
additive to cut down a vehicle’s
carbon monoxide and other smog-
causing emissions.
• Sugar producing factories, petrol
blended with 5% ethanol is
supplied.

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@farhan. M 10