Biomass is any organic
material, such as plants and animals. Solar energy is stored in
either the plant or animal, and is then converted to electricity
by burning the plants, or using the animal waste as fuel. Biomass
is a renewable energy source, and can be used as solid, liquid,
or gaseous fuel. Biomass is the primary source of fuel in the developing
world, but is underutilized in the developed world. One example
is the use of wood for fuel around the world. Developed countries,
such as the U.S., use less than 1% of the wood that is harvested
for fuel. In undeveloped countries, up to 95% of the wood that is
harvested is used for fuel.
Some
examples include:
*
Fast Growing Trees and Grasses
*
Agricultural Residues
*
Wood Wastes and Yard Clippings
*
Animal
Wastes
Benefits
The American
Bioenergy Association feels that increased use of biomass will
lead to economic, environmental, and overall energy benefits. Some
of these benefits would be "a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,
a reduction on dependence on foreign oil, and a new industry."
Biomass fuels can be
used in conjunction with fossil fuels, to create a more environmentally
friendly power plant. The use of Biomass with fossil fuels reduces
the emissions from normal fossil fuel power plants.
This new industry would
not only be good for the environment, but it would be good for the
national economy as well. New jobs would be created, not to mention
new markets for farmers and foresters. Farmland would be used in
new ways, allowing more farmers to keep their existing land and
have it be producing profits at the same time.
www.eere.energy.gov
Electrical
Generation from Biomass
There are
generally four types of processes used to produce energy from biomass.
They are:
Direct
Fire: Biomass fuel is burned in a
boiler to produce steam, which turns a turbine that is connected
to a generator
Co-firing:
Substitution of biomass for a portion of coal in an existing
power plant furnace
Biomass
Gasifiers: Heating biomass in an environment where the
solid biomass breaks down into a flammable gas
Modular
Systems: Implements same technologies in previous methods,
but on smaller scales settings, for villages, farms, or small industries
All four
processes have their benefits as well as their drawbacks, and are
explained in more detail by the
Department of Energy's Biopower section.
Most
Commonly Used Biomass
www.eere.energy.gov
Wood
Residues: The most commonly used biomass for heat and power.
This includes mill residues, and urban wood residues, or materials
that were thrown away, which also reduces landfill usage. Other
sources of wood residues come from yard trimmings, and forest residues.
Agricultural
Residues: More than 86 million metric tons of agricultural
residues are produced every year. Some agricultural residues are
corn stover, rice husks, and bagasse. Bagasse is the dry, fibrous
remains of sugar cane stalks after they have been crushed and the
juices drained from them.
Energy
Crops: Specially developed crops that are grown specifically
for fuel. This includes fast growing trees and grasses.
An example
of one type of biomass that is starting to catch on is using corn
furnaces to heat homes. The furnaces are the most expensive part
of the new energy source, ranging in price from under $2000, up
to more than $5000, depending on size. After the initial cost, buying
shelled corn is the only cost that is incurred. A bushel of shelled
corn is very cheap, so the seasonal cost of heating a home is much
less then when using other forms of energy. As with any new technology,
people have been slow in adapting this new type of energy for their
homes, but many are now realizing the benefits. Not only is it less
expensive to heat your home with corn, but the corn could even be
grown yourself, reducing the price that much more.
http://pubs.acs.org/cen/topstory/8031/8031notw4.html
Problems
Related to Biomass Use
The main
problem with biomass is its availability. The map below shows that
the United States even would suffer from this problem if it was
not for the country's excellent transportation system that the country
has. The geography of a particular country will limit what types
of biomass can be produced and used, in relation to where the biomass
is needed. If a country can not obtain the biomass, then this form
of renewable energy is a non-issue.
Another
problem that can develop is the overuse of biomass. Countries such
as Haiti have relied upon wood for their energy needs for so long
that the country is now over 95% deforested. This not only means
that they have no source of fuel left, but the environmental effects
of deforestation, like erosion, will now cause more problems for
the struggling nation.
Wisconsin
and Biomass
It is estimated
that Wisconsin could generate enough fuel from biomass to supply
the energy needs to over 2,000,000 people annually. Currently, exact
numbers are not available on Wisconsin's biofuel resources, but
the future looks good. At present time, Wisconsin only uses 7% of
its corn for energy purposes (EERE).
It's clear to see that with more corn being used for fuel, and more
land being used to grow corn, that Wisconsin's biomass uses can
only increase.
Biomass
Future
Biomass
clearly has a bright future, not only in the United States, but
around the world. As more technology increases the efficiency, and
lowers the cost of using biomass, more people will be persuaded
into switching to this type of energy. The benefits are obvious,
and with new ideas being developed everyday, biomass will soon be
a part of everyone's life.
Helpful
Sites
www.eere.energy.gov
www.biomass.org
http://www.me3.org/projects/seed/biomass.html
http://www.nrel.gov/clean_energy/biopower.html
http://www.nesea.org/energy/info/biopower.html
http://greennature.com/article104.html
http://www.colby.edu/~aatkinso/st112project/biomass.html