Biomass Energy

This chapter discusses the various biomass resources that may be used for energy conversions. The focus is on biomass wastes with negative costs, such as municipal solid wastes or garbage, municipal sewage, animal manure, and agricultural residues. The various procedures for a complete characterization of biomass resources are presented. This includes describing procedures to estimate the various physical and chemical properties of biomass as well as properties important for thermal conversions. Hence, the chapter discusses the most common American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the US Department of Energy (USDOE) standard procedures for measuring the heating value of biomass, its proximate analysis (moisture, volatile combustible matter, fixed carbon, and ash), and ultimate analysis (elemental C, H, O, N, S, and ash). The chapter further discusses the comprehensive conversion pathways for the use of biomass for valuable heat, electrical power, biofuels, and other forms of energy. The chapter discusses the individual common pathways segregated into physico-chemical/biological and thermochemical conversion processes. The first grouping of pathways includes biodiesel, bioethanol, and biogas production from biomass resources. The second grouping of pathways includes torrefaction, pyrolysis, gasification, and combustion. The chapter ends with a discussion of the overall environmental and economic issues concerning biomass energy conversion systems. The production economics for biofuels is always affected by the price of crude oil.