23-Oct-18

L-T-P-C
ME403 3-0-0-3

Advanced Energy Engineering

Module - IV

Prepared by:
Dr. Rejeesh C R, Asst. Professor,
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Federal Institute of Science and Technology
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https://sites.google.com/site/rejeeshcrfisat

Biomass
➢ Biomass is plant matter such as trees, grasses, agricultural

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crops or other biological material.

➢ It can be used as a solid fuel, or converted into liquid or

gaseous forms for the production of electric power, heat,
chemicals, or fuels.

➢ Biomass is considered as a renewable energy source because

the growth of new plants and trees replenishes the supply.

➢ Bio-energy is energy obtained through the conversion of

organic matter, either directly through combustion to generate
heat or converted into a more manageable energy carrier such
as liquid or gas.

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Course Outcomes Biomass to Energy

After successful completion of this course, students will be able to ➢The Sun is the direct or indirect source of nearly all our
Sl. PO energy on earth.
NO
DESCRIPTION
MAPPING
Discuss and compare the layout and working principles of steam, hydro,
➢Energy can change from one form to another.
1 PO1
nuclear, gas turbine and diesel power plants.
➢Plants capture solar energy through photosynthesis
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Describe the use of solar energy and the various components used in the
PO1 to make food, a type of chemical energy.
energy production.
Appreciate the need of wind energy and the various components used in
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energy generation and know the classifications.
PO1 ➢Biomass is a name for plant and animal waste used
Acquire knowledge about the concept of power generation from
as an energy source or fuel.
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biomass energy resources and their future prospects and economics.
➢Biofuels are liquid and gas fuels used for
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Describe the principles and applications of power generation from various
PO1 transportation, heat and electricity.
sources and Hydrogen energy conversion systems.
Understand energy scenario and the environmental effects of energy
6 conversion and become aware of different renewable energy sources and PO1
choose sustainable energy for future.
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Useful forms of biomass

Biomass Energy
b. Biodiesel –Biodiesel can be produced from different feedstocks,
• Energy obtained from organic matter derived from such as oil feedstock (eg. rapeseed, soybean oils, jatropha,
biological organisms (plants and animals). palm oil, hemp, algae, canola, flax, and mustard), animal
fats, and/or waste vegetable oil. Recycled restaurant oil is
also one of the most important sources of biodiesel. The most
• Classified in to 2 categories common production method for converting vegetable oil and
animal fats into bio-diesel is transesterification. The purpose
➢ Biomass from cultivated fields, crops and forests.
of the transesterification process is to lower the viscosity of the
➢ Biomass from municipal waste, animal dung, agricultural raw oil to allow proper atomization of the fuel. Biodiesel can be
used to power engines (diesel engines), either alone, as pure
waste and fisheries waste.
biodiesel or mixed with petroleum diesel in various ratios.
Compared to petroleum diesel, biodiesel is biodegradable and
• Biomass energy may be transformed by chemical or non-toxic.
biological processes to produce biofuels like methane,
producer gas, ethanol and charcoal etc.

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Useful forms of biomass

1. Wood – The most common form of biomass is wood. Direct
Solar Energy to Biomass
combustion is the simplest way to obtain heat energy. Its energy
density is 16-20 MJ/kg. It can also be converted to more useful forms Green plants act like small,

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such as charcoal or producer gas. The remainder is lost due to wind,
incomplete combustion, radiation losses and other losses. Smoke,
natural chemical factories.
which is in fact un-burnt tar and carbon, is a health hazard.

2. Charcoal – Charcoal is a clean (smokeless), dry, solid fuel, black in

colour. It has 75-80% carbon content and has energy density of about
Plants use water and
30 MJ/kg. It is obtained by the carbonisation process of woody carbon dioxide as raw
biomass (heating in the absence of air) to achieve higher energy density materials for making food.
per unit mass. It can be used as fuel in domestic purposes as it burns
without smoke.

3. Biogas – Biogas or landfill gas refers to the gas obtained by the A green plant uses the
anaerobic digestion of biomass resources. Biogas contains 55 to 70
% methane and the remaining part is CO2 with small amounts of other
Sun’s energy to make food
gases such as hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. The main difference and release oxygen.
between natural gas and biogas is related to the carbon dioxide
content. Biogas contains 25–45% of CO2 of the total composition of
biogas, while natural gas contains less than 1%. Moreover, natural gas
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contains other hydrocarbons.

Useful forms of biomass Photosynthesis Process

4. Bio-fuel – The two most common types of bio-fuels are ethanol and
biodiesel. These fuels are usually blended with the petroleum fuels
such as petrol and diesel fuel, but they can also be used on their
own. Ethanol and biodiesel are usually more expensive than the
fossil fuels but they are cleaner fuels with less pollution.

a. Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) – Methanol, ethanol, propanol and

butanol can be used as an alternative fuel. Ethanol is the most
widely used alcohol, primarily as a fuel for transportation or as
a fuel additive because it can be produced in large quantities
from fermenting plant-based material. Ethanol can be
combined with petrol in any concentration up to pure ethanol.
Bio-ethanol can be produced from a variety of feedstocks,
including sugarcane, corn, sugar beet, cassava, sweet sorghum,
sunflower, potatoes, hemp, or cotton seeds, or derived from
cellulose waste. The starches and the sugars in these plants are
fermented, and the ethanol is then obtained by distillation.
Ethanol is a clean-burning, particulate-free fuel source. When
burnt with oxygen, the end product is carbon dioxide and water.
But, ethanol has a lower heat of combustion.
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Photosynthesis Process Useful forms of biomass

The energy available from various biomass resources are listed in the
table below.
Available
Sl. Bio-fuel Conversion
Biomass source energy
No. produced technology
(MJ/kg)
Wood chips, saw mill
1. Direct heat Incineration 16 – 20
dust, forest residues.
Gas, 40
Wood chips, saw mill
2. Oil, Pyrolysis 40
dust, forest residues
Char 20
3. Sugarcane crops Ethanol Fermentation 26

4. Animal waste Biogas Anaerobic digestion 4–8

5. Municipal sewage Biogas Anaerobic digestion 2–4

6. Vegetable oil sewage Biodiesel Transesterification 38

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Biomass Resources Applications

➢ Water pumping and electricity generation
➢ Forest

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➢ Heat generation
➢ Agricultural residues ➢ Cooking stoves
➢ Bio fuels
➢ Energy crops
• Fuel wood
➢ Sugarcane • Charcoal
• Fuel pellets
➢ Oil producing plants • Bio ethanol
• Bio gas
➢ Aquatic plants
• Producer gas
➢ Urban waste • Bio diesel
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Composition of urban garbage Biomass – Merits and demerits

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Advantages of biomass energy

1. Plants ensure a continuous supply of energy due to their continuous growth and
hence it is a renewable source of energy. Biomass Conversion
2. The cost of obtaining bio-energy through energy-plantations is less than the cost of
obtaining energy from fossil fuels.
3. The production of biogas (particularly from animal wastes) has additional value in
Processes
intensive agricultural systems as a method of avoiding pollution.
4. The forestry and agricultural industries that supply feed stocks also provide
substantial economic development opportunities in rural areas.
5. The pollutant emissions from combustion of biomass are usually lower than those
from fossil fuels.
6. Commercial use of biomass may avoid or reduce the problems of waste disposal in
other industries, particularly municipal solid waste in urban centers.
7. Varying capacity can be installed; any capacity can be operated, even at lower loads,
with no seasonality involved.

Disadvantages of biomass energy

1. Biomass source is often of low energy density.
2. Methane gases produced using biomass is harmful to the Earth’s ozone layer.
3. Capacity is determined by availability of biomass and not suitable for varying loads.
4. It is not feasible to set up at all locations.
5. Transportation of biogas through pipe over long distances is difficult.
6. Crops which are used to produce biomass energy are seasonal.
7. A large number of trees are being cut down in order to produce power. Continuing to
operate on such a large scale will eventually result in the deforestation. 19 22

Bio Fuel Production Process Physical Conversion of Biomass

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Biomass conversion technologies Agrochemical Conversion of

Combustion Electric power

Thermo-chemical conversion
Pyrolysis

Gasification
Char, oil, biogas

Producer gas
Biomass
Liquefaction Liquid fuel

Anaerobic digestion Methane

Biomass Bio-chemical conversion Aerobic digestion Compost

Fermentation Ethanol

Agro-chemical conversion Transesterification Bio-diesel

Biomass conversion

➢ Biomass can be converted into different forms of energy by using various

processes.
➢ For the production of energy from biomass, the term feedstock is used to
refer to whatever type of organic material (wood, plants, animal residues, etc.)
which can be used to produce a form of energy.
➢ Biomass can be converted into three main products, viz., power or heat
generation, transportation fuels (such as ethanol) and chemical
feedstock (such as methane). 21 24

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Transesterification
Agro-chemical conversion of
biomass ➢ Transesterification is the reaction of
triglycerides (fat/oil) in the presence of Biomass feedstock
catalyst (sodium hydroxide or sodium
methoxide) and alcohol producing biodiesel
➢ Agro-chemical conversion can take two pathways. and glycerin.
Oil extraction
1. Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO)/Pure Plant Oil (PPO) NaOH
Triglyceride + Methanol Fatty acid methyl ester + Glycerin
2. Transesterification (Catalyst)
Transesterification Transesterification
➢ The heavier, co-product, glycerol settles out
and may be used as it is or it may be
purified for use in other industries, eg. the Separation of biodiesel
pharmaceutical, cosmetics, etc. from glycerin

➢ The key factors regulating transesterification

are temperature (>240 °C), pressure (>5 Biodiesel
bars), reaction time and mixing. Transesterification process

Straight Vegetable Oil (SVO)/Pure Plant Transesterification

Oil (PPO)

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➢ Vegetable oils are esters of glycerin, commonly called triglycerides.
Vegetable oil can be used as diesel fuel just as it is, without being
converted to biodiesel.
➢ However, it is thicker than diesel fuel. This prevents incomplete
combustion, which would damage the engine by causing a build-up
of carbon. Straight vegetable oil can also be blended with
conventional diesel or processed into biodiesel.
➢ PPO is obtained from edible oil-producing plants such as the African
palm, groundnuts, cotton seeds, sunflower, canola, or non-edible
oils such as jatropha, neem, or even balanites.
➢ These raw oils, unused or used, can be employed in certain diesel
engines, for cooking, or in diesel generators for the production of
electricity.

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Transesterification Thermo-chemical conversion

➢ Biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters) can be produced from vegetable
oil, animal oil/fats, and waste cooking oil.
➢ Biodiesel has substantially different properties than SVO and results in
better engine performance. In particular, biodiesel has a lower boiling
point and viscosity than SVO.
➢ Biodiesel is biodegradable, non-toxic and essentially free from sulphur.
Biodiesel can be used in pure form or may be blended with petroleum
diesel at any concentration for use in most modern diesel engines.
➢ Biodiesel can be produced from a variety of feedstock, such as oil
feedstock (rapeseed, soybean oils, jatropha, palm oil, hemp,
algae, canola, flax and mustard), animal fats, and/or waste
vegetable oil.
➢ Biodiesel produces no net output of carbon in the form of carbon
dioxide (CO2).
➢ Two methods that are commonly applied for biodiesel synthesis are
transesterification and esterification processes.
of biomass
➢ Thermo-chemical conversion of biomass uses heat and
catalysts in order to convert biomass into thermal energy,
gas or liquid which can be used either directly for the
generation of electric power and heat, or it can be further
processed into fuel and chemicals.
➢ Thermo-chemical conversion of biomass can take place by
the pathways categorized as direct combustion,
pyrolysis, gasification, and liquefaction.
➢ By using these processes, the biomass can be converted
into either a solid fuel, liquid fuel or gaseous fuel which
can be further used for the generation of electricity, heat,
chemicals and fuels.
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Direct combustion of biomass

Direct combustion of biomass
Exhaust
➢ In fluidised bed combustion of biomass, the Flue gas
Steam biomass is fed into a bed of hot inert
Furnace/Boiler Turbine particles, such as sand.
Electricity ➢ The biomass-particle mix is suspended by
Biomass Storage Pretreatment an upward flow of combustion air within the
Generator
bed.
Ash Fluidized bed
Condensate
Condenser ➢ At sufficient flow rates, the bed acts as a
Biomass
Direct combustion/Steam turbine system fluid resulting in rapid mixing of particles.
The operating temperature is normally
➢ In direct combustion, biomass is burned in presence of excess oxygen. controlled within the range 750°C – 950°C.
➢ The products from the combustion of biomass are heat, light, and ➢ The rapid mixing and turbulence within the Bottom bed
byproducts at temperatures around 800°C–1000°C. This is a result of the fluidized bed enables efficient combustion to Ash
exothermic reaction between the carbon and oxygen in the fuel that be achieved with high heat releases.
releases a significant amount of heat, while forming water and CO2.
➢ As a result of better heat transfer in FBC,
➢ Energy produced by combustion of biomass can be utilized in the the unit size and hence the capital costs are Combustion air
generation of electricity, or used directly for stoves, boilers, district heating reduced. Fluidised bed combustion
(heat and/or cooling to multiple buildings from a central source), etc.
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Thermo chemical Process Carbonisation

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Direct combustion of biomass Carbonisation

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Pyrolysis Gasification
Charcoal

Biomass Bio-oil

Pyrolysis
(Heating in inert atmosphere)
Biogas
Pyrolysis

➢ The basic thermo-chemical process to convert biomass into a more

valuable and/or convenient product is known as pyrolysis.
➢ The products of pyrolysis are three types of fuels, usually, a gas mixture
(H2, CO, CO2, CH4 and N2, an oil-like liquid (bio-oil- a water-soluble
phase including acetic acid, acetone, methanol and a non-aqueous
phase including oil and tar) and a nearly pure carbon char.
➢ The distribution of these products depends upon the type of feedstock,
the temperature and pressure during the process and its duration and
the heating rate.
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Pyrolysis Gasification

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Pyrolysis Gasification

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Biomass gasification-classification Fixed Bed cross draft gasifier

Biomass feed

Gasifiers are broadly classified as : -

1. Fixed-bed gasifier – The fixed-bed gasifiers are further classified

as, depending upon the depending on the relative directions of the
solid flow and the gas. Drying zone
(a) Downdraft
(b) Updraft, and
(c) Cross-draft Pyrolysis zone

The fixed bed gasifiers are suitable for small-scale applications (< 10 Combustion zone
MW). Air Producer gas

2. Fluidized-bed gasifier – The fluidized bed configurations are cost Reduction zone
effective in large-scale applications that generate over 15 MW.
Fixed-bed cross-draft gasifier

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Fixed Bed updraft gasifier Fluidised Bed Gasifier

Producer gas

Biomass feed

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Fluidised bed

Biomass
Producer gas
Drying zone

Pyrolysis zone

Reduction zone Air

Fluidised bed gasifier
Combustion zone

Air
Ash
Fixed-bed updraft gasifier

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Fixed Bed downdraft gasifier Liquefaction

Biomass feed

Drying zone

Pyrolysis zone

Combustion zone
Air Air
Reduction zone
Producer gas
Ash
Fixed-bed downdraft gasifier

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Liquefaction Fermentation
Pre-treated H2 + CO
slurry inlet
NaCO3
Biomass

Liquefaction reactor

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Comparing biochemical and thermo-

Bio-chemical conversion of chemical conversion process
biomass

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• The process makes use of metabolic action of Aspect Biochemical Thermo-chemical

microbial organisms on bio mass to produce Woody feedstock such as

Sugar-crop
liquid and gaseous fuels. Raw-material feedstock, starch,
wood, agricultural residue,
forest residue, and some types
corn.
• Bio-chemical conversion can take two pathways of municipal waste

viz.,
Reactor mode Batch-process. Continuous-process.
• Anaerobic digestion
Reaction time 2 days. Less than10 minute.
• fermentation
By-products Organic residue. Producer gas/electricity.

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Anaerobic digestion Biogas plant

• Biogas is a flammable fuel gas with 60% CH4 and
rest CO2
• A biogas plant converts wet biomass into biogas by
the process of anaerobic fermentation.
• The anaerobe bacteria carries out digestion of
biomass without oxygen and produces methane and
carbon dioxide.
• There are 2 types of biogas plant designs
➢ Fixed dome type
➢ Floating drum type

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Biogas plant Floating drum type digester

➢ Biogas is a flammable fuel gas with 60% CH4 and rest CO2. Slurry inlet tank
➢ The gas can be upgraded by removal of CO2 and the gas with high Gas
heating value can be used in I.C. engine. Sludge
➢ The main applications of biogas are (i) cooking. (ii) domestic
Gound level
lighting and heating and (iii) I.C. engines.
➢ Biogas plant (biogas digester) converts wet biomass into biogas Central guide
Outlet tank
(methane) by the process of anaerobic fermentation. Inlet pipe
Outlet pipe
➢ The bacteria called anaerobe carries out digestion of biomass
without oxygen and produces methane (CH4) and carbondioxide Digester
(CO2). Partition wall
➢ There are two major types of biogas designs promoted in India,
viz., floating drum and fixed dome type.
Floating dome type digester
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Fixed dome type digester Biogas plant- floating drum type

Slurry inlet tank
Gas
Sludge
Gound level
Slurry inlet tank

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Central guide
Outlet tank Inlet pipe
Outlet tank
Gas Outlet pipe
Digester
Partition wall

Floating dome type digester

➢ In this design (constant pressure), a dome made floats above the slurry
in the digester.
Digester
➢ The floating drum normally has a central guide which facilitates its
vertical up and down movement.
➢ The gas generated in the slurry gets collected in the dome and the dome
arises.
➢ The weight of the floating steel cylinder ensures that the gas produced is
under constant pressure, which gives this type of digester its main
Fixed dome type digester advantage.
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Biogas plant- fixed dome type Comparing fixed dome and floating
➢ The pressure inside the digester increases as the biogas is liberated. drum biogas plant
The biogas gets collected in the upper portion of the digester in a
dome shaped cavity.
Fixed dome Floating drum
➢ The outlet pipe is provided at the top of the fixed dome.
Digester and gas holder can be Digester, masonry, gas holder can
➢ The fixed dome type digester can be fed on daily basis with small
masonry or concrete structure. be mild steel or fiberglass.
quantities of the slurry.

➢ The excess slurry in the digester gets accommodated in the Requires high masonry skills. Low masonry skill is required.
displacement chamber.
Low reliability due to high
➢ In the fixed dome type digester biogas plant (constant volume), the High reliability.
construction failure.
digester and gas-collector (gas dome) are enclosed in the same
chamber. Variable gas pressure. Constant gas pressure.

➢ The digester is conveniently built at or below ground level in Digester could be inside the Requires space above ground for
comparatively cooler zone. ground. three tanks; inlet, digester, outlet.
➢ The slurry (cattle dung and water in the ration 1:1 for gobar gas
plant) is fed from the inlet.

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Economics of biomass power

generation

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Future prospects of biomass

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