Kyambogo University Faculty of Engineering Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Academic Year 2018/2019 Semester 2

KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY
Faculty of Engineering
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Academic year 2018/2019
Semester 2
BIOMASS
ASSIGNMENT 1
KAFULUMA HERBERT
18/U/18154/BET/PE
QN.1
Biomass is waste material from plants or living things that is not used for food or feed; it can be
waste from farming or horticulture, food processing, animal farming, or human waste from
sewage plants. It is used in Uganda as a source of energy in most households for cooking food,
burning of bricks for construction of houses. Also most bakeries use firewood as a source of
energy.
QN2. Classification of biomass
Biomass can be classified according to the following ways,
 According to their source.

For example, biomass from forests, agricultural activities, livestock farming, wastes originating
from municipals, agro and food processing industries.
 According to the conversion processes used in the production of biofuels.
For example
1) Thermal chemical conversion processes like,
 direct combustion
 gasification
 pyrolysis
2) Biochemical conversion processes
This process involves the use of bacterial enzymes and microorganisms to break down
biomass into gaseous fuels like biogas or liquid fuels like bioethanol. The particular
processes involved include, anaerobic digestion and fermentation.
 According to utilization
For example,
 Energy crops
These are crops grown for the purpose of energy production like heat and electricity.
 Industrial crops,
These are crops grown for the purpose of manufacturing like in lint, chemical and food
processing industries.
 Manure
These are wastes from humans and livestock farming which are preserved for manure
through a compositing process. The composite product is added to soils and is rich in
nutrients.
QN3. Types of biomass
Biomass has got the following types below;
 Woody
This includes all trees from natural and artificial forests that can be cut down for the
purpose of heat and electricity generation through combustion of the fuel product. The
fuel product can be informed of wood pellets or dry wood pieces.
 Non woody
These include crops like soy beans, sugar canes, algae corn, etc. which are processed to
produce different liquid biofuels.
 Wastes
These include human and livestock wastes and also solid municipal wastes
QN4. Applications of biomass
A) Energy applications
 Biomass is used as a source of heat energy used for warming of buildings and
cooking of food both in domestic and in industrial processes. Heat energy is
produced by combustion of the biofuel material e.g. wood pellets
 Biomass is also used for generating electricity. This can be done in several ways
which include; co-firing where coal is mixed with biomass fuel materials in a given
percentage and burned to produce heat as used in steam power plants.
 Biomass is used as a source of liquid biofuels e.g. biodiesel which is used in car
engines for transport.
b) Non energy applications
 Biomass is used as food for humans and animals.

 Biomass is used as a source of materials for construction of buildings e.g. timber
from trees
 It is also used as a source of raw materials e.g. cotton in the lint industries for the
production of cloths.
QN5. Challenges of biomass resource in Uganda;
These challenges include
 Awareness
Very many Ugandans are not aware of the energy potential of biomass. This has led to the
misuse of the energy resources available like municipal and livestock wastes.
 High electricity costs
These have led to the use of charcoal especially in the urban areas. These have led to a high
deforestation rate which has also affected the biomass resources.
 High population growth rate
This has increased the food demand and therefore more efforts are put in the production of
food crops other than biomass for energy.
 Lack of investors in the biomass based energy electricity
This has led to the low growth of biomass potential in the country; most biomass crop growers
are in the manufacturing sector like food processing.
 Poverty among the majority of the population especially in the rural areas has affected biomass
growth. Planting of energy crops requires monitory resources despite the possession of
relatively big chunks of land. Also people use the available biomass for thatching and cooking.
 Government inclination towards the exploitation of hydro energy resources. Government is

building hydropower plants and therefore has few or almost no programs in the growth
preservation of biomass energy potential. This has led to a low investor turn up.
 Unfavorable climatic conditions (dry seasons prolong for quite some time) in some parts of
the country have affected biomass resources like the growth of forests and other agricultural
activities. For example in the Karamoja region, agriculture is barely practiced.

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KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

Academic year 2018/2019

QN2. Classification of biomass

Biomass can be classified according to the following ways,

 According to their source.

Biomass has got the following types below;

QN4. Applications of biomass

b) Non energy applications

 Biomass is used as food for humans and animals.

These challenges include

 Government inclination towards the exploitation of hydro energy resources. Government is

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