Biomass/Bio FuelsKatie Zhao

Jordan PelliciottaKarthik Kartha

Laila El-AliAdior Barac

How Biomass is Used The oldest and simplest way to make

bio fuels is to burn natural items (i.e. wood)

The burning of these resources produces high pressure systems

Steam from these systems causes the turbines used in Biomass plants to rotate

These turbines then cause the generators to turn, and energy is produced

Biomass Energy in the USA Bio Fuels are burned in power plants across the

nation and are used to produce heat and energy Bio fuels have also been proven to be efficient

means of powering cars and trucks (the main source being CORN)

These fuels can also be used for cooking and heating homes

Effectiveness of Production Biomass provides 3% of energy used in

the USA In 2002, biomass supplied 47% of all

renewable energy in the USA

Current Research on Biomass

Scientists and Environmental Specialists are studying to find the sustainability and environmental impacts of biomass production

Advantages Biofuels are renewable, meaning their

sources can be regrown. Advanced biofuels can offer

environmental benefits such as lowering carbon emissions

Lowers sulfur compared with first-generation biofuels and conventional petroleum-based fuels.

Levels of the greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide could also be reduced through the use of biomass energy sources as these gases are produced by organic matter if left to decay without being used for a purpose such as this.

Disadvantages Tens of millions of tons of biomass are required

annually to produce enough fuel to make a difference, given the global demand for energy.

A lot of land and water are needed for some biomass crops to be produced and, when they have grown, the product requires a large amount of storage room before being converted into energy.

Biomass energy is not entirely clean. Some greenhouse gases are still produced; although the levels of these gases are far less than those produced by fossil fuels.

Biomass fuel production is expensive, with costs including paying for the large amount of labor involved and transportation costs as this type of energy must be produced close to where the source is obtained.

What Biomass Looks Like

Fiber like pulp, paper, lumber, plywood and cotton can be used as material products or residues like sawdust. The material products is used by consumers. Then residue and material products decompose and combust which turn into electricity at the power plant. Crop animals produce food products which go to consumers who use it and then it decomposes and combusts into energy. Animal waste will also go to the power plant and turn into energy.

Data Support for Bio Fuels Biomass is a cleaner technology than coal, but not as clean as

the better green power sources. However, it has a lower cost when compared to most green sources of power.

In 2007, biomass-produced electricity in California totaled 6,236 gigawatt-hours (2.1 percent of the state's total system power). A total of 132 operating biomass power plants are in California.

California used 15,779,408 gallons of ethanol blended fuel in 2004, close to half of the total in the United States (total is about 34,349,052 gallons). 

Of the total wood chips supplied for woodfuel, 37% were obtained from wood processing, 36% from cultivation of trees, 18% from forestry and 9% from recycled wood.

U.S. biofuel production is growing rapidly, from 28 million gallons in 2004 to 91 million gallons in 2005, nearly triple the amount in 2004.

Biofuel from soybeans costs an estimated $2 to $2.50 per gallon to produce. Biofuel from yellow grease is about $1 a gallon cheaper, but the available supply in the U.S. is much smaller – enough to make 100 million gallons per year.

Conclusion: Biomass and biofuel makes sense and is a smart idea, but is too small in the production and supply to be advanced to a major energy source.

Biofuel impact on public lands

Biofuel will use up to 3 million acres of unused available farmland in the North east.

Refineries in Mississippi, Florida and New York.

Biomass internationally

Biofuels International is an international company focused with the sole objective of implementing significant renewable energy projects to replace the worlds reliance on fossil fuel energy.

Countries› Malaysia: Two refineries in Rotterdam› Spain: Abengoa Bioenergy opening a 200 million

liter plant in northern Spain.› Austria: Argna will build a 105 million bioethanol

plant

Biofuels VS. Fossil Fuels• loads of biomass fuels produce lower levels of such atmospheric pollutants like

sulphur dioxide, that add to 'acid rain'. Modern biomass combustion systems are highly complicated, offering combustion efficiency and production levels comparable with the best fossil fuel boilers.

• Finally, note that for the combustion phase, it is possible to burn fossil fuels more efficiently than biomass. therefore, the former must, to reduce CO2 emissions overall. But a more sophisticated analysis had to believe life-cycle consequences (including CO2 released in extraction, preparation, transportation, etc., of the two forms of biomass).

• There is widespread concern that observed increases in the concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere will ultimately lead to changes in the earth's climate. Although it is clear that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide is increasing and that the increase is being driven in large measure by the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas), the climatic consequences of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide are not so clear. Recognizing that fossil fuels play a very important role in the economies and lifestyles of people throughout the world, and acknowledging that great uncertainty exists regarding the climatic consequences of burning fossil fuels, it is reasonable to ask if the global economy can be powered in ways that might have less impact on the environment because they discharge less carbon dioxide.

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Works Cited (cont.)Timprobert. "Meeting European Demand for Biomass Wood Pellets." Millicentmedia. Millicentmedia, 4 July 2012. Web. 18 Dec.

2012. <http://millicentmedia.com/2012/07/04/meeting-european-demand-for-biomass-wood-pellets/>.

"Waste to Energy & Biomass in California." Waste to Energy & Biomass in California. California Energy Comission, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2012.

Watson, John S. "Biofuels." Chevron Corporation Home. Chevron Corporation, Apr. 2012. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.chevron.com/deliveringenergy/biofuels/>.

"What Is Biomass Energy?" WellHome. WellHome, 2011. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. http://www.wellhome.com/blog/what-is-biomass-energy/

“Why use Biomass?." www.biomassenergycentre.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Dec. 1926. <www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=76,15068&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL>.

Woodfuel Statistics." Forestry. Forestry Commission, 4 June 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. <http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Woodfuel2008.pdf/$FILE/Woodfuel2008.pdf>.

Works Cited (cont.)