MEE1012 - Alternative Fuels

Dr. S. K. Behera
Department of Chemical Engineering,
Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, TN, India – 632 014.
Module 6 – Solid fuels

Biomass - processing and usage

 Energy Scenario in India…

1. Petroleum
238 MMT

 Domestic production 38 MMT

 Import 200 MMT (85%) Thermal 168.3 GW 68.7%

Hydro 40.5 GW 16.5%

2. Electricity 245 GW Nuclear 4.78 GW 1.95%

Renewables 31.7 GW 12.9%

 Wind – 21.13 GW (66.7%)
31.7 GW

 Small hydro – 3.80 GW (12.0%)

 Solar PV – 2.65 GW (8.4%) 18.2%
 Biomass – 4.11 GW (12.9%) by the end of
2017

Sources: Ministry of Power; MP&NG; and MNRE, Govt. of India (as on 31 st March 2014). 3
BIOFUELS 4
 Biomass
• A renewable and sustainable source of energy used to create
electricity or other forms of power

• No net carbon emissions (Carbon neutral)

– When biomass is used as fuel, CO2 released is balanced by
the CO2 captured when the biomass is grown.

5
 CATEGORIES OF BIOMASS

1. Forest product: Wood, tree, shrubs,

wood residues, saw dust, bark, etc.
 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan…

Various kinds of wastes needs to be handled and

disposed off to achieve the objectives.

7
 Biomass
• Conversion
Feedstock Harvesting and Conversion Utilization
Supply Handling Thermochemical Biopower
•Collection •Combustion •Process and Space Heating
• Residues •Power generation
•Processing •Gasification
• Dedicated •Storage •Pyrolysis Biofuels
Crops •Transportation •Other •Ethanol
Biochemical •Biodiesel
•Methanol
•Anaerobic (fermentation)
•Pyrolisis liquids
•Anaerobic Digestion
•Biogas (methane + CO2) including
•Alcohol Fermentation digester and landfill gas
•Aerobic •Synthesis gases (CO + H2) (for
•Composting further refinement to liquid/gaseous
•Activated fuels)
(oxygenated) waste •Hydrogen
treatment •Charcoal
•Direct Hydrogen •Biomass solids
Physicochemical •Others
•Oil extraction Bio-products
• Hydrocarbon extraction •Citric and other acids
•Composite materials
•Fertilizer
•Fibers
•Lubricants
•Others
•Pesticides
•Structural materials
•Surfactants 8
 Biomass
Conversions of interest
Conversion Utilization
Thermochemical Biopower
•Combustion •Electrical Power Generation
Feedstock •Process Heating
•Gasification
•Other Biofuels
•Synthesis gases (CO + H2) (for
Biochemical
further refinement to liquid/gaseous
•Anaerobic Digestion
fuels)
•Alcohol Fermentation •Biogas (methane + CO2) including
Physicochemical digester gas
•Oil extraction •Ethanol
•Biodiesel
•Others
Bioproducts (chemicals and
materials
•Fertilizer

Combustion: direct-fired systems. They burn bio-energy feedstocks directly.

Gasification: biomass is heated with no oxygen (or only about one-third the oxygen
needed for efficient combustion). Biomass then gasifies to a mixture of CO and H2 —
synthesis gas or syngas.
Biochemical: relies on the abilities of specific microorganisms to convert biomass
components to useful liquids and gases, as ethanol or methane.
9
 Conversion Technologies

Biochemical Platform
(Sugar)

Biogas Platform Combined

Biomass (Anaerobic Digestion) Heat & Power,
Feedstock Fuels,
Thermochemical Chemicals,
Platform and Materials
• Pyrolysis
• Gasification

Carbon Rich Chains

Platform (Biodiesel)
 Agricultural biomass residue
Crop waste Total cultivated Estimated dry biomass
area, Mha production, MT

Rice (27.3%) 44.0 246.6

“Resources for second
Wheat (13.3%) 29.9 90.7
generation of biofuel
production” Sugarcane 5.1 204.4
(19.5%)
Maize (5.5%) 8.7 148.5

~ 700 MT biomass/year (13% of the world)

1) Thermochemical conversion: Combustion, Pyrolysis, Gasification, Bio-oils

 0.38 kW/ha or 9 kWh/day from surplus biomass (50% biomass use, 4 tonne/ha/year,15 MJ/kg, ɳ = 20%).
 33 GW potential from only 4 major crop residue (50% biomass use and ɳ = 20%).

2) Biochemical conversion: Alcoholic fermentation, Anaerobic digestion

 Biomethane and Bio-fertilizer

11
 Biomass feedstock

 Biomass is a generic term of all vegetable material and is generally a term

for material derived from growing plants or from animal manure.

 Compared to other renewable energy resources, it is unique in having

various forms solid, liquid and gases.

 Solar energy is stored in plant biomass as chemical energy via

photosynthesis which is further released by direct or indirect combustion

Biomass technologies involve:

1. Carbon cycle
2. Photosynthesis

12
 sunlight

H2O
CO2 CO2
Chlorophyll

combustion CH2O+O2
combustion

Biosynfuel,
Thermo Biomass growth Biochemical Bioalcohol, Biodiesel,
Biocrude oil,
Chemical and processing conversion Biogas, Biohydrogen
Biodiesel
conversion

conversion conversion

Consumption Consumption
Waste Bioresidues Waste
disposal disposal

Figure : Carbon cycle and photosynthesis

13
 Photosynthesis: Carbon fixation process by reduction of CO2

CO2 + H2O CH2O + O2

In this reaction light provides energy and splits water.

It consists of series of interconnected oxidation reduction reaction.

1. Evolution of oxygen from water.

2. Transfer of hydrogen atoms to a primary hydrogen accepter.

3. Reduction of CO2 to carbohydrate by the primary hydrogen accepter.

14
Biomass–To–Energy Conversion Processes

[1] Thermochemical Conversion Process

[2] Biochemical Conversion Process

 Thermochemical Conversion

• Gasification, Pyrolysis,
Direct Hydrothermal
Liquefaction
• Carbon monoxide and
Syngas (Hydrogen)
 Thermochemical Conversion Process

1. COMBUSTION
Biomass + Stoichiometric oxygen → Hot combustion products

 Combustion is a complex sequence of exothermic chemical reactions

between a fuel and an oxidant accompanied by the production of heat or
both heat and light.

 In a complete combustion reaction, a compound reacts with an oxidizing

element, such as oxygen, and the products are compounds of each element
in the fuel with the oxidizing element.
 2. PYROLYSIS

Biomass + Heat → Charcoal, oil, gas

 Pyrolysis is the chemical decomposition of a substance by heating.

 It does not involve reactions with oxygen or any other reagents but can
take place in their presence.
 It is most commonly used for organic materials which leaves only carbon
as the residue (called carbonization) and is related to the chemical process
of charring.
 Higher efficiency is achieved by the flash pyrolysis where finely divided
feedstock is quickly heated to between 3500 and 500 0C for less than 2
seconds.
 Fuel bio-oil resembling light crude oil can also be produced by hydrous
pyrolysis of many feed stocks.
 Pyrolysis

• Absence of
oxygen

• Thermal
degradation

• Liquid pyrolysis oil

In pyrolysis, thermal degradation occurs in the absence of oxygen with high

temperatures to form liquid pyrolysis oil. This oil can be used to take the place of
petroleum.
 3. GASIFICATION

Biomass + Limited oxygen → Fuel gas + Pyrolysis oils + Char + Ash

+ Steam

Gasification is a process that converts carbonaceous materials, such as

coal or biomass into CO and H2 by reacting the raw material at high
temperature with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam. The
resulting gas mixture is called synthesis gas or syngas and is itself a
fuel.
• Controlled combustion

• 20-40% oxygen supply

• Calorific value : 1500 kCal/Nm3

• Major constituent gases CO & H2 ; Others CO2, CH4, N2