BIOFUELS

HISTORY

(Gerald Kutney)

From the time of the caveman until the early Industrial Revolution, biofuels - namely wood and the
advanced biofuel of the day, charcoal - reigned supreme. Both fossil fuels and biofuels originate from
biomass. The major difference between them is that fossil fuels are sequestered carbon, and biofuels
are renewable carbon

Base in united states researchers,

A biofuel is usually made from plants that can be grown and harvested
efficiently. In the United States, ethanol from corn is one of the primary
biofuels, and it is also used as an additive for gasoline. In Brazil, sugar cane is
the primary source of ethanol. The United Kingdom uses a different biofuel
called biodiesel, which is generated from palm oil. Turning organic material
into a usable fuel involves a refining process that generally includes
fermentation, chemical reactions, and heat.

Because the plants used to produce biofuels can be grown and harvested,
making them renewable resources, biofuel is a more sustainable alternative to
traditional fossil fuels. It still requires a lot of energy to produce, so it's far
from perfect; however, according to the Energy Future Coalition, for every
gallon of oil used in processing and distributing biofuels, 12 to 20 gallons of
biofuel can be produced. Very little conversion needs to take place to make
regular diesel engines run on biodiesel. Rubber fuel lines need to be replaced
with metal ones, and filters need to be checked in the weeks following the
conversion. For non-diesel engines, a full engine conversion is necessary.
BIOGAS

A biogas plant is a decentralized energy system, which can lead to self-sufficiency in heat
and power needs, and at the same time reduces environmental pollution. The
components of a modern biogas (or anaerobic digestion) plant include: manure collection,
anaerobic digester, effluent treatment, biogas storage, and biogas use/electricity
generating equipment.

Working of a Biogas Plant

The fresh animal manure is stored in a collection tank before its processing to the
homogenization tank which is equipped with a mixer to facilitate homogenization of the
waste stream. The uniformly mixed waste is passed through a macerator to obtain
uniform particle size of 5-10 mm and pumped into suitable-capacity anaerobic digesters
where stabilization of organic waste takes place.

In anaerobic digestion, organic material is converted to biogas by a series of bacteria

groups into methane and carbon dioxide. The majority of commercially operating
digesters are plug flow and complete-mix reactors operating at mesophilic temperatures.
The type of digester used varies with the consistency and solids content of the feedstock,
with capital investment factors and with the primary purpose of digestion.

(home biogas.com)

Biogas is a type of biofuel that is naturally produced from the

decomposition of organic waste. When organic matter, such as food
scraps and animal waste, break down in an anaerobic environment
(an environment absent of oxygen) they release a blend of gases,
primarily methane and carbon dioxide. Because this decomposition
happens in an anaerobic environment, the process of producing
biogas is also known as anaerobic digestion.
Anaerobic digestion is a natural form of waste-to-energy that uses the
process of fermentation to breakdown organic matter. Animal manure,
food scraps, wastewater, and sewage are all examples of organic
matter that can produce biogas by anaerobic digestion. Due to the
high content of methane in biogas (typically 50-75%) biogas is
flammable, and therefore produces a deep blue flame, and can be
used as an energy source.
The Ecology of Biogas
Biogas is known as an environmentally-friendly energy source
because it alleviates two major environmental problems
simultaneously:

1. The global waste epidemic that releases dangerous levels of

methane gas every day
2. The reliance on fossil fuel energy to meet global energy demand

By converting organic waste into energy, biogas is utilizing nature’s

elegant tendency to recycle substances into productive resources.
Biogas generation recovers waste materials that would otherwise
pollute landfills; prevents the use of toxic chemicals in sewage
treatment plants, and saves money, energy, and material by treating
waste on-site. Moreover, biogas usage does not require fossil fuel
extraction to produce energy.

Instead, biogas takes a problematic gas, and converts it into a much

safer form. More specifically, the methane content present in
decomposing waste is converted into carbon dioxide. Methane gas
has approximately 20 to 30 times the heat-trapping capabilities of
carbon dioxide. This means that when a rotting loaf of bread converts
into biogas, the loaf’s environmental impact will be about 10 times less
potent than if it was left to rot in a landfill.
Biogas Digesters
As opposed to letting methane gas release to the atmosphere, biogas
digesters are the systems that process waste into biogas, and then
channel that biogas so that the energy can be productively
used. There are several types of biogas systems and plants that have
been designed to make efficient use of biogas. While each model
differs depending on input, output, size, and type, the biological
process that converts organic waste into biogas is uniform. Biogas
digesters receive organic matter, which decompose in a digestion
chamber. The digestion chamber is fully submerged in water, making
it an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment. The anaerobic
environment allows for microorganisms to break down the organic
material, and convert it into biogas.
All-Natural Fertilizer
Because the organic material decomposes in a liquid environment,
nutrients present in the waste dissolve into the water, and create a
nutrient-rich sludge, typically used as fertilizer for plants. This fertilizer
output is generated on a daily basis, and therefore is a highly
productive by-product of anaerobic digestion.
Biological breakdown
To produce biogas, organic matter ferments with the help of bacterial
communities. Four stages of fermentation move the organic material
from their initial composition into their biogas state.

1. The first stage of the digestion process is the hydrolysis stage. In

the hydrolysis stage insoluble organic polymers (such as
carbohydrates) are broken down, making it accessible to the
next stage of bacteria called acidogenic bacteria.
2. The acideogenic bacteria convert sugars and amino acids into
carbon dioxide, hydrogen, ammonia, and organic acids.
3. At the third stage the acetogenic bacteria convert the organic
acids into acetic acid, hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon dioxide,
allowing for the final stage- the methanogens.
4. The methanogens convert these final components into methane
and carbon dioxide- which can then be used as a flammable,
green energy.

(GLW ENERGY)

A biogas digester (also known as a biogas plant) is a large tank where

inside Biogas is produced through the decomposition/breakdown of organic matter
through a process called anaerobic digestion. It's called a digester because organic
material is eaten and digested by bacteria to produce biogas.
 BIOMASS

Biomass, the weight or total quantity of living organisms of

one animal or plant species (species biomass) or of all the species in
a community (community biomass), commonly referred to a unit area or
volume of habitat. The weight or quantity of organisms in an area at a given
moment is the standing crop. The total amount of organic material produced
by living organisms in a particular area within a set period of time, called the
primary or secondary productivity (the former for plants, the latter for animals),
is usually measured in units of energy, such as gram calories or kilojoules
per square metre per year. Measures of weight—e.g., tons of carbon per
square kilometre per year or gigatons of carbon per year—are also commonly
recorded.

BASICS
 +MENU

Biomass—renewable energy from plants and animals

Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals, and it is a renewable
source of energy.
 Biomass contains stored energy from the sun. Plants absorb the sun's energy in a
process called photosynthesis. When biomass is burned, the chemical energy in
biomass is released as heat. Biomass can be burned directly or converted to liquid
biofuels or biogas that can be burned as fuels.

Examples of biomass and their uses for energy

 Wood and wood processing wastes—burned to heat buildings, to produce process heat
in industry, and to generate electricity
 Agricultural crops and waste materials—burned as a fuel or converted to liquid biofuels
 Food, yard, and wood waste in garbage—burned to generate electricity in power plants
or converted to biogas in landfills
 Animal manure and human sewage—converted to biogas, which can be burned as a
fuel

Converting biomass to energy

Solid biomass, such as wood and garbage, can be burned directly to produce heat.
Biomass can also be converted into a gas called biogas or into liquid biofuels such as
ethanol and biodiesel. These fuels can then be burned for energy.

Biogas forms when paper, food scraps, and yard waste decompose in landfills, and it
can be produced by processing sewage and animal manure in special vessels called
digesters.

Ethanol is made from crops such as corn and sugar cane that are fermented to produce
fuel ethanol for use in vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from vegetable oils and animal
fats and can be used in vehicles and as heating oil.

How much biomass is used for fuel?

Biomass fuels provided about 5% of total primary energy use in the United States in
2017. Of that 5%, about 47% was from biofuels (mainly ethanol), 44% was from wood
and wood-derived biomass, and 10% was from the biomass in municipal waste. (Sum of
percentages is greater than 100% because of independent rounding) Researchers are
trying to develop ways to use more biomass for fuel.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYBRID AND ELECTRIC CARS

Electric and hybrid cars both use technology that is designed to decrease the use of gasoline fuel for
powering car engines. Electric cars are totally electric, meaning that they must be plugged in and
charged, and that the range of the car is only as far as the charge. Hybrid cars use a mixture of gas
and electric power to create a gas efficient partially electric car with a less limited range.
Some hybrid car owners have modified their cars further, to run entirely on electricity except in
emergency situations, in which case the drivers use gasoline power.

At the turn of the twentieth century, most cars actually were electric. The cars ran quietly and
efficiently, and had reasonably good ranges. For a variety of reasons, the internal combustion
engine powered by gasoline overtook electric cars in popularity: by the 1920s, most cars were gas
powered. The electric car faded from public popularity until the late 1960s, when concerns about a
growing oil crisis and emissions drove several companies to manufacture electric cars again, albeit
on a small scale. The cars captured a small amount of the market share, and slowly grew in
popularity and in the public eye.

Dependency on foreign oil and awareness about the environment in the late 1990s caused some car
owners to convert their gasoline cars to electric power, and automobile manufacturers started
making electric cars a bigger part of their lineup. Modern electric cars are comparable to gasoline
powered ones in terms of speed, and many of them have long ranges which can be increased at
charging stations along the way. Electric cars are also nonpolluting, and can be powered using clean
energy such as wind or hydropower. For this reason, they appeal to many eco-conscious
consumers.

Consumers who feel limited by electric cars have turned to hybrid cars such as the Honda Insight
and Toyota Prius. Many car manufacturers are including hybrids in their lineup to cater to people
who would like the clean energy of an electric car without the difficulties of managing charging and
range. A hybrid car has a conventional gasoline engine and a bank of rechargeable batteries that
charge while the car is running. When the driver makes limited demands on the car's power, such as
driving around town or idling at a stoplight, the car runs on the stored electricity in the batteries.
When the driver demands a burst of energy or is driving at sustained high speeds, the gasoline
engine kicks in.

A hybrid car is a more ecologically sound choice than a conventional gasoline powered car, but it still
carries environmental issues. Although most hybrids are low polluting, they do add to the overall
emissions load created by gas-powered cars. For people who are not ready to make the leap to an
electric car, or find it unfeasible in their areas, a hybrid is a great choice. Electric cars, on the other
hand, are totally nonpolluting and do not rely on gasoline, making them a better choice. Individuals
who feel really passionate about the environment can continue to walk, bicycle, and take public
transit.

ss