Department of Chemical

Engineering

Project/Energy from BioMass

Unit Processes
Submitted To
Mr.Fazeel Ahmed

Group Members
Adan Javed UW-16-Che-Bsc-018
Saeed Anwar UW-16-Che-Bsc-006
Adil Sohail UW-16-Che-Bsc-019

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Table of Contents
1 Chapter.1 ................................................................................................................................................... 3
1.1 Introduction to Biomass ....................................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Types of Biomass/Sources of Biomass................................................................................................. 6
1.2.1 Wood ........................................................................................................................................... 6
1.2.2 Solid Waste .................................................................................................................................. 6
1.2.3 Landfill Gas and Biogas ............................................................................................................... 6
1.2.4 Sugar crops................................................................................................................................... 7
2 Chapter.2 ................................................................................................................................................... 8
2.1 Bio Mass fuel analyses or testing ......................................................................................................... 8
3 Chapter.3 ................................................................................................................................................. 10
3.1 Biomass Conversion Processes/Purification ....................................................................................... 10
3.1.1 Direct Combustion ..................................................................................................................... 10
3.1.2 Gasification ................................................................................................................................ 11
3.1.3 Pyrolysis..................................................................................................................................... 13
3.1.4 Digestion .................................................................................................................................... 14
3.1.5 Fermentation .............................................................................................................................. 14
4 References ............................................................................................................................................... 15

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 Energy recovery from biomass
1 Chapter.1
1.1 Introduction to Biomass

Due to increasing environmental concerns especially related with the use of fossil fuels, new solutions to limit
the greenhouse gas effect are continuously sought. With the growing concerns of greenhouse emissions, biomass
is set to become an important contributor to the world energy need. Today biomass is seen as the most promising
energy source to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions (Khan et al. 2009). Biomass is very important for
implementing the Kyoto agreement to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by replacing fossil fuels. The rapidly
increasing energy requirements run parallel to technological development in the world, and research and
development activities are forced to study new and biorenewable energy. In the most biomass-intensive scenario,
modernized biomass energy is projected by 2050 to contribute about one half of the total energy demand in
developing countries. Direct combustion of biomass has been carried out worldwide since ancient times for
cooking and heating. However, since biomass usually contains a high moisture content, and has low density, there
are some difficulties of transportation, storage and usage of biomass without any pretreatment. Direct combustion
is the old way of using biomass.

Biomass thermochemical conversion technologies such as pyrolysis and gasification are certainly not the most
important options at present; combustion is responsible for over 97% of the world’s bioenergy production. The
first biomass sources used on Earth were wood and dry grass and for a long time these were used for cooking and
warming. Products with fuel characteristics that are obtained biotechnologically from plant sources are defined
as biomass energy sources. Generally biomass is an easily obtained energy source and therefore it is especially
important for countries with forest and agriculture-based economics and with limited sources of energy
(Karaosmanoglu and Aksoy 1988). In the last decade, there has been rapid progress in the biofuel marketing
trend: increasing production capacity, increasing international material flows, increased competition with
conventional agriculture, increased competition with forest indus- tries, increasing international trade flows, and
strong international debate about the sustainability of biofuels production.

Biomass is the most important bioenergy option at present and is expected to maintain that position during the
first half of this century (Hamelinck and Faaij 2006; IPCC 2007). There are three ways to use biomass: (1) it can
be burned to produce heat and electricity, (2) changed to gas-like fuels such as methane, hydrogen and carbon
monoxide, or (3) changed to a liquid fuel. Liquid fuels, also called biofuels, include mainly two forms of alcohol:
ethanol and methanol. Because biomass can be changed directly into a liquid fuel, it could someday supply much

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of our transportation fuel needs for cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, and trains. This is very important because nearly
one-third of our nation’s energy is now used for transportation. The term biomass (Greek bio meaning life + maza
meaning mass) refers to nonfossilized and biodegradable organic material originating from plants, animals, and
microorganisms. The biomass includes products, byproducts, residues and waste from agriculture, forestry and
related industries as well as the non-fossilized and biodegradable organic fractions of industrial and municipal
solid wastes. Biomass also includes gases and liquids recovered from the decomposition of non-fossilized and
biodegradable organic material.

According to another definition, the term biomass refers to wood, short-rotation woody crops, agricultural wastes,
short-rotation herbaceous species, wood wastes, bagasse, industrial residues, waste paper, municipal solid waste,
sawdust, biosolids, grass, waste from food processing, aquatic plants and algae animal wastes, and a host of other
materials. Biomass is organic material that has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. Biomass is
commonly recognized as an important renewable energy, which is considered to be such a resource that during
the growth of plants and trees solar energy is stored as chemical energy via photosynthesis, which can be released
via direct or indirect combustion.

Although some of the steps in photosynthesis are still not completely understood, the overall photosynthetic
reaction has been known since the 1800s. Jan van Helmont began research into the process in the mid-1600s when
he carefully measured the mass of the soil used by a plant and the mass of the plant as it grew. After noticing that
the soil mass changed very little, he hypothesized that the mass of the growing plant must come from the water,
the only substance he added to the potted plant. Photosynthesis is the most important biochemical process in
which plants, algae, and some bacteria harness the energy of sunlight to produce food. Organisms that produce
energy through photosynthesis are called photoautotrophs. Photosynthesis is a process in which green plants
utilize the energy of sunlight to manufacture carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of
chlorophyll (Viswanathan 2006). The initial process in photosynthesis is the decomposition of water into oxygen
and hydrogen and oxygen will be released. The simplified photosynthesis pathways are given in Equations The
hydrogen and the carbon and oxygen of carbon dioxide are then converted into formaldehyde, and then a series
of increasingly complex compounds result finally in a stable organic compound, hexose (typically glucose). This
phase of photosynthesis utilizes stored energy and therefore can proceed in the dark. Hexose is polymerized into
hexosan (typically glucosan) or carbohydrates.

The basic structure of all wood and woody biomass consists of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lignin and extractives.
Their relative composition is shown in Table1. Softwoods and hardwoods differ greatly in wood structure and
composition. Hardwoods contain a greater fraction of vessels and parenchyma cells. Hardwoods have a higher

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 Table 1.1 Structural composition of wood (wt.% of dry and ash-free sample)
proportion of cellulose, hemicelluloses and extractives than softwoods, but softwoods have a higher proportion
of lignin. Hardwoods are denser than softwoods. [4] [5]

Figure 1.1 Shows the reactions

Figure 1.1 shows sources of biomass

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 1.2 Types of Biomass/Sources of Biomass

We use several types of biomass today, including wood, agricultural products, solid waste, landfill gas and biogas,
and biofuels.

1.2.1 Wood

Most biomass used today is home grown energy. Wood logs, chips, bark, and sawdust accounts for about 44
percent of biomass energy. But any organic matter can produce biomass energy. Other biomass sources can
include agricultural waste products like fruit pits and corncobs. Wood and wood waste are used to generate
electricity. Much of the electricity is used by the industries making the waste; it is not distributed by utilities, it is
a process called cogeneration. Paper mills and saw mills use much of their waste products to generate steam and
electricity for their use. However, since they use so much energy, they need to buy additional electricity from
utilities. Increasingly, timber companies and companies involved with wood products are seeing the benefits of
using their lumber scrap and sawdust for power generation. This saves disposal costs and, in some areas, may
reduce the companies’ utility bills. In fact, the pulp and paper industries rely on biomass for well over half of their
energy needs. Other industries that use biomass include lumber producers, furniture manufacturers, agricultural
businesses like nut and rice growers, and liquor producers.

1.2.2 Solid Waste

Burning trash turns waste into a usable form of energy. One ton (2,000 pounds) of garbage contains about as
much heat energy as 500 pounds of coal. Garbage is not all biomass; perhaps half of its energy content comes
from plastics, which are made from petroleum and natural gas. Power plants that burn garbage for energy are
called waste-to-energy plants. These plants generate electricity just as coal-fired plants do, except that
combustible garbage not coal is the fuel used to fire their boilers. Making electricity from garbage costs more
than making it from coal and other energy sources. The main advantage of burning solid waste is that it reduces
the volume of garbage dumped in landfills by up to 90 percent, which in turn reduces the cost of landfill disposal.
It also makes use of the energy in the garbage, rather than burying it in a landfill, where it remains unused.

1.2.3 Landfill Gas and Biogas

Bacteria and fungi are not picky eaters. They eat dead plants and animals, causing them to rot or decay. A fungus
on a rotting log is converting cellulose to sugars to feed itself. Although this process is slowed in a landfill, a
substance called methane gas is still produced as the waste decays. Regulations require landfills to collect methane

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gas for safety and environmental reasons. Methane gas is colorless and odorless, but it is not harmless. The gas
can cause fires or explosions if it seeps into nearby homes and is ignited. Landfills can collect the methane gas,
purify it, and use it as fuel to generate electricity. Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is a good energy
source. Most gas stoves and furnaces use methane supplied by utility companies. Still, today a small portion of
landfill gas is used to provide energy. Most is burned off at the landfill. With today’s low natural gas prices, this
higher-priced biogas is less economical to collect. Methane, however, is a more powerful greenhouse gas than
carbon dioxide. It is better for the environment to burn landfill methane and change it into carbon dioxide through
combustion than to release it into the atmosphere. Methane can also be produced using energy from agricultural
and human wastes. Biogas digesters are airtight containers or pits lined with steel or bricks. Waste put into the
containers is fermented without oxygen present to produce a methane-rich gas. This gas can be used to produce
electricity, or for cooking and lighting. It is a safe and clean burning gas, producing little carbon monoxide and
no smoke. Biogas digesters are inexpensive to build and maintain. They can be built as family-sized or
community-sized units. They need moderate temperatures and moisture for the fermentation process to occur. For
developing countries, biogas digesters can be one of the best answers to many of their energy needs. They can
help reverse the rampant deforestation caused by wood-burning, reduce air pollution, fertilize over used fields,
and produce clean, safe energy for rural communities.

1.2.4 Sugar crops

 Sugar cane
 Sugar beets
 Molasses[1] [3]

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2 Chapter.2
2.1 Bio Mass fuel analyses or testing

Main biomass fuel analyses are: (a) particle size and specific gravity, (b) ash content, (c) moisture content, (d)
extractive content, (e) element (C, H, O and N) content, and (f) structural constituent (cellulose, hemicelluloses
and lignin) content. Particle size of biomass should be as much as 0.6 cm, sometimes more, in a profitable
combustion process. Biomass is much less dense and has significantly higher aspect ratios than coal. It is also
much more difficult to reduce to small sizes. Ash or inorganic material in plants depends on the type of the plant
and the soil contamination in which the plant grows. On average wood contains about 0.5% ash. Ash contents of
hard and softwoods are about 0.5 and 0.4%, respectively. Insoluble compounds act as a heat sink in the same way
as moisture, lowering combustion efficiency, but soluble ionic compounds can have a catalytic effect on the
pyrolysis and combustion of the fuel.

The presence of inorganic compounds favors the formation of char. Ash content is an important parameter directly
affecting the heating value. High ash content of a plant part makes it less desirable as fuel. The composition of
mineral matter can vary between and within each biomass sample. Mineral matter in fruit shells consists mostly
of salts of calcium, potassium, silica, and magnesium, but salts of many other elements are also present in lesser
amounts. Moisture in biomass generally decreases its heating value. Moisture in biomass is stored in spaces within
the dead cells and within the cell walls. When the fuel is dried the stored moisture equilibrates with the ambient
relative humidity. Equilibrium is usually about 20% in air-dried fuel. Moisture percentage of the wood species
varies from 41.27 to 70.20%. Heating value of a wood fuel decreases with increase in moisture content of the
wood. Moisture content varies from one tree part to another. It is often the lowest in the stem and increases toward
the roots and the crown. The presence of water in biomass influences its behavior during pyrolysis and affects the
physical properties and quality of the pyrolysis liquid. The results obtained show that for higher initial moisture
contents the maximum liquid yield on a dry feed basis occurs at lower pyrolysis temperatures between 691 and
702 K. Again, the heat content, which is a very important factor affecting the utilization of any material as a fuel,
is affected by the proportion of combustible organic components (known as extractives) present in it. The higher
heating values (HHVs) of the extractive-free plant parts were found to be lower than those of the un-extracted
parts, which indicate a likely positive contribution of extractives towards the increase of HHV.

Extractive content is an important parameter directly affecting the heating value. High extractive content of a
plant part makes it desirable as fuel. Extractives raise the HHVs of the wood fuels. Both the chemical and the
physical composition of the fuel are important factors in the characteristics of combustion. Biomass can be
analyzed by breaking it down into structural components (called proximate analysis) or into chemical elements
(known as ultimate analysis). The heat content is related to the oxidation state of the natural fuels in which carbon
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atoms generally dominate and overshadow small variations of hydrogen content. On the basis of literature values
for different species of wood, Tillman (1978) also found a linear relationship between HHV and carbon content.
Biomass fuels are composed of biopolymers that consist of various types of cells and the cell walls are built of
cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. HHVs of biomass fuels increase as lignin contents increase. The higher
heating values (HHVs) or gross heat of combustion includes the latent heat of the water vapor products of
combustion because the water vapor was allowed to condense to liquid water. The HHV (in units of MJ/kg) of
the biomass fuels as a function of fixed carbon (FC, wt.%) was calculated from Eq. 2.1

HHV = 0.196 (FC) + 14.119 (2.1)

In earlier work, formulae were also developed for estimating the HHVs of fuels from different lignocellulosic
materials, vegetable oils, and diesel fuels using their chemical analysis data. For biomass fuels such as coal, the
HHV is calculated using a modified Dulong’s formula as a function of the carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen
contents from Eq.2.2

HHV = 0.335 (CC) + 1.423 (HC) – 0.154 (OC) – 0.145 (NC) (2.2)

Where CC is carbon content (wt.%), HC hydrogen content (wt.%), OC oxygen content (wt.%), and NC nitrogen
content (wt.%). The HHVs of extractive-free samples reflect the HHV of lignin relative to cellulose and
hemicelluloses. Cellulose and hemicelluloses (holocellulose) have a HHV 18.60 MJ/kg, whereas lignin has a
HHV from 23.26 to 26.58 MJ/kg. As discussed by Baker (1982), HHVs reported for a given species reflect only
the samples tested and not the entire population of the species. The HHV of a lignocellulosic fuel is a function of
its lignin content. In general, the HHVs of lignocellulosic fuels increase with increase of their lignin contents and
the HHV is highly correlated with lignin content. For the model including the lignin content, the regression
equation is:

HHV = 0.0889 (LC) + 16.8218 (2.3)

Where LC was the lignin content (wt.% dry and ash-free and extractive-free basis). Biomass combustion is a
series of chemical reactions by which carbon is oxidized to carbon dioxide, and hydrogen is oxidized to water.
Oxygen deficiency leads to incomplete combustion and the formation of many products of incomplete
combustion. Excess air cools the system. The air requirements depend on the chemical and physical characteristics
of the fuel. The combustion of the biomass relates to the fuel burn rate, the combustion products, the required
excess air for complete combustion, and the fire temperatures. [9] [10]

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3 Chapter.3
3.1 Biomass Conversion Processes/Purification

Biomass can be converted to thermal energy, liquid, solid or gaseous fuels and other chemical products through
a variety of conversion processes. All of today's capacity is based on mature, direct-combustion technology.
Future efficiency improvements will include co-firing of biomass in existing coal-fired boilers and the
introduction of high-efficiency gasification, combined-cycle systems, fuel cell systems, and modular systems.
Generally, the prominent biopower technologies are comprised of direct combustion, co-firing, gasification,
pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and fermentation.[9]

Figure 3.1 Shows Main biomass conversion processes

3.1.1 Direct Combustion

This is perhaps the simplest method of extracting energy from biomass. Industrial biomass combustion facilities
can burn many types of biomass fuel, including wood, agricultural residues, wood pulping liquor, municipal solid
waste (MSW) and refuse-derived fuel. Biomass is burned to produce steam, the steam turns a turbine and the
turbine drives a generator, producing electricity. Because of potential ash build-up (which fouls boilers, reduces
efficiency and increases costs), only certain types of biomass materials are used for direct combustion. Direct
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combustion is the oldest way of using biomass. Combustion is responsible for over 97% of the world’s bioenergy
production. Direct combustion and co-firing with coal for electricity production from biomass has been found to
be a promising method for the near future. [3],[9],[10]

Figure 3.2 Shows Direct Combustion Process

3.1.2 Gasification

Biomass gasification involves burning of biomass in a limited supply of air to give a combustible gas consisting
of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, water, nitrogen, along with contaminants like small
char particles, ash and tars. The gas is cleaned to make it suitable for use in boilers, engines and turbines to
produce heat and power (CHP). Biomass gasification provides a means of deriving more diverse forms of energy
from the thermochemical conversion of biomass than conventional combustion. The basic gasification process
involves devolatization, combustion and reduction.

During devolatization, methane and other hydrocarbons are produced from the biomass by the action of heat
which leaves a reactive char. During combustion, the volatiles and char are partially burned in air or oxygen to
generate heat and carbon dioxide. In the reduction phase, carbon dioxide absorbs heat and reacts with the
remaining char to produce carbon monoxide (producer gas). The presence of water vapour in a gasifier results in
the production of hydrogen as a secondary fuel component. [8]

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3.1.2.1 Advantages of Gasification

There are numerous solid waste gasification facilities operating or under construction around the world.
Gasification of solid wastes has several advantages over traditional combustion processes for MSW treatment. It
takes place in a low oxygen environment that limits the formation of dioxins and of large quantities of SOx and

Figure 3.2 Shows lay out of Gasification Plant

NOx. Furthermore, it requires just a fraction of the stoichiometric amount of oxygen necessary for combustion.
As a result, the volume of process gas is low, requiring smaller and less expensive gas cleaning equipment. The
lower gas volume also means a higher partial pressure of contaminants in the off-gas, which favours more
complete adsorption and particulate capture. Finally, gasification generates a fuel gas that can be integrated with
combined cycle turbines, reciprocating engines and, potentially, with fuel cells that convert fuel energy to
electricity more efficiently than conventional steam boilers. [3],[1]

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3.1.3 Pyrolysis

Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of biomass occurring in the absence of oxygen. It is the fundamental
chemical reaction that is the precursor of both the combustion and gasification processes and occurs naturally in
the first two seconds. The products of biomass pyrolysis include biochar, bio-oil and gases including methane,
hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.Depending on the thermal environment and the final
temperature, pyrolysis will yield mainly biochar at low temperatures, less than 450 0C, when the heating rate is
quite slow, and mainly gases at high temperatures, greater than 800 0C, with rapid heating rates. At an
intermediate temperature and under relatively high heating rates, the main product is bio-oil. Pyrolysis can be
performed at relatively small scale and at remote locations which enhance energy density of the biomass resource

Figure 2 Shows Biomass Pyrolysis Cycle

and reduce transport and handling costs. Pyrolysis offers a flexible and attractive way of converting solid biomass
into an easily stored and transported liquid, which can be successfully used for the production of heat, power and
chemicals. A wide range of biomass feedstocks can be used in pyrolysis processes. The pyrolysis process is very
dependent on the moisture content of the feedstock, which should be around 10%. At higher moisture contents,
high levels of water are produced and at lower levels there is a risk that the process only produces dust instead of
oil. High-moisture waste streams, such as sludge and meat processing wastes, require drying before subjecting to
pyrolysis. The efficiency and nature of the pyrolysis process is dependent on the particle size of feedstocks. Most
of the pyrolysis technologies can only process small particles to a maximum of 2 mm keeping in view the need
for rapid heat transfer through the particle. The demand for small particle size means that the feedstock has to be
size-reduced before being used for pyrolysis. Pyrolysis processes can be categorized as slow pyrolysis or fast

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pyrolysis. Fast pyrolysis is currently the most widely used pyrolysis system. Slow pyrolysis takes several hours
to complete and results in biochar as the main product. On the other hand, fast pyrolysis yields 60% bio-oil and
takes seconds for complete pyrolysis. In addition, it gives 20% biochar and 20% syngas. [2]

3.1.4 Digestion

Biomass digestion works by utilizing anaerobic bacteria. These microorganisms usually live at the bottom of
swamps or in other places where there is no air, consuming dead organic matter to produce methane and hydrogen.
We put these bacteria to work for us. By feeding organic matter such as animal dung or human sewage into tanks,
called digesters, and adding bacteria, we collect the emitted gas to use as an energy source. This process is a very
efficient means of extracting usable energy from such biomass. Usually, up to two thirds of the fuel energy of the
animal dung could be recovered. Another related technique is to collect methane gas from landfill sites. A large
proportion of household biomass waste, such as kitchen scraps, lawn clipping and pruning, ends up at the local
tip. Over a period of several decades, anaerobic bacteria at the bottom of such tips could steadily decompose the
organic matter and emit methane. The gas can be extracted and used by capping a landfill site with an impervious
layer of clay and then inserting perforated pipes that would collect the gas and bring it to the surface. [6],[1]

3.1.5 Fermentation

For centuries, people have used yeasts and other microorganisms to ferment the sugar of various plants into
ethanol. Producing fuel from biomass by fermentation is just an extension of this process, although a wider range
of plant material from sugar cane to wood fiber can be used. The waste from a wheat mill is used to produce
ethanol through fermentation. Ethanol is then mixed with diesel to produce diesehol, a product used by trucks and
buses. Technological advances will inevitably improve the method. For example, scientists substituted a
genetically engineered bacterium for yeast in the fermentation process. The process has vastly increased the
efficiency by which waste paper and other forms of wood fiber is fermented into ethanol. [3],[5]

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4 References

[1] An Introduction to Biomass Energy a Renewable Resource by Donald Klass, (www.bera1.org)

[2] The Michigan Biomass Energy Program, (www. michiganbioenergy.org)
[3] BERA Biomass Energy Research Association, (www.bera1.org)
[4] U S Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (www.eere.org)
[5] S. C Johnsons Associates Inc (www.scjai.com).
[6] NREL , Clean Energy Basics: Introduction to biomass
electricity production, (www.nrel.gov/energy)
[7] Biomass-The Growing Energy Source, (www.science. Org .au/ nova)
[8] Cetin, N.S., Ozmen, N. 2003. Studies on lignin-based adhesives for particleboard panels. Turk J Agric For
27:183–189.

[9] Crespo, J.E., Balart, R., Sanchez, L., Lopez, J. 2007. Mechanical behaviour of vinyl plastisols with cellulosic
fillers. Analysis of the interface between particles and matrices. Int J Adhesion Adhesives 27:422–428.

[10] Demirbas, A. 1991. Fatty and resin acids recovered from spruce wood by supercritical acetone extraction.
Holzforschung 45:337–339. Demirbas, A. 1997. Calculation of higher heating

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