6.+GROWING+FUEL

=CHAPTER 6= =GROWING FUEL=

Sahil Kirpalani GROWING FUELS

__Biomass Energy:__


 * It is one of the most promising ways to reduce Co2 burning coal and natural gas
 * Nonfood bio products can be burnt with combustion technology to produce electricity and heat
 * It is a renewable source as plants grow through photosynthesis, which uses the sun
 * Another plant can replace the one used for energy
 * When people think of bio fuels, their mind jumps to filling their cars with biofuels. However, there are many variations of biofuels that are effective but overlooked

__Production:__


 * Biofuels can be produced from virgin trees, forest waste, food crops, energy crops (switch grass, sweet sorghum), and from waste (municipal, agricultural, industrial) as these have organic materials


 * Can be used to produce electricity, thermal energy, and liquid fuels


 * Can be modified to produce biomaterials


 * Excluding the burning of wood, more than 90% of biomass is used for thermal energy for industrial processes, space heating and generators


 * The 3 generations: **

__Ethanol (first generation):__


 * Ethanol has been used to try and substitute petroleum based liquid fuels


 * US is interested in ethanol made from corn that can be used in the place of gasoline in vehicles


 * The corn wasn’t a good solution, as was later decided as its emissions were too high, and the rewards were not as great as they could be.


 * Corn plantations took too much land- another problem


 * Technology used to produce corn, palm oil, soy and other materials into vehicle fuel release almost as much co2 as the petroleum being replaced. This causes a small controversy


 * Ethanol is blamed for the destruction of forests around the world[[image:5833062.jpg width="224" height="124" align="left"]]


 * This threatens biodiversity, and adds more greenhouse gases and pollution to the atmosphere


 * Despite all of this, the drive to stop depending on oil has forced technology and the popularity of ethanol and biodiesel to go up around the world


 * The process include the plant’s starches are converted into sugar- mashing


 * Sugarcane in Brazil is better than Corn based ethanol: heavy rainfall, cheap labor, and sunlight


 * This provides an alternative to the problem- filled corn system

__Second Generation technology__
 * It Is more beneficial
 * Uses fast growing trees and waste streams with a higher cellulose content
 * Feedstock plants flourish on land that is unsuitable for food crops- this eliminates environmental and geographical issues.
 * They don’t need petroleum incentive
 * Cell structure broken down, this releases their sugars.

__Third Generation technology:__
 * New molecules that can be mixed directly with petroleum based substances to eliminate blending problems
 * Biofuels can be created from algae
 * Scientists are working on a process that will allow them to break down the cell walls of cellulosic plants such as switch grass, and turn them into biofuel

__Garbage Power:__
 * Landfill gas is half methane and half Co2
 * Process of Methane extracted from Landfills includes vertical extraction wells are drilled into the landfills; a pipe is connected to take the methane to a central location where it is processed.
 * This wastes the opportunity to use methane as energy
 * Methane can be a very useful energy source
 * US enacted a landfill rule: all methane has to be flared or used productively
 * This is a work in progress, and more and more companies have started to use methane/ garbage power
 * Methane saves electricity cost, and it is plentiful
 * It is a productive way to use our waste

__Some points to make sure we use biofuels properly:__
 * Harvesting should not cause the destruction of habitats, forests, and therefore biodiversity of a region


 * Co2 emissions should be minimized


 * Water should be used sustainably and should used appropriately


 * All technology should be sustainable


 * Ethanol hasn’t proven effective, but has improved income for farmers

__Random Facts (I didn’t know where to place these):__


 * Process called syngas- used in Europe
 * High temperature technique that can extract energy more efficiently than burning


 * In The European Union, the burning of Biomass accounts for 2/3 of all renewable energy


 * In 2007, the United States of the Council on Sustainable Biomass Production:


 * Includes farmers, producers, refiners, oil companies, biotech companies, federal officials, and academic researchers: growing in popularity


 * New technology to create liquid fuels from nonfood crops is close to going commercial


 * The emissions from automobiles running on ethanol- corn or sugarcane are less than gasoline`


 * Agriculture is petroleum intensive, and net corn based ethanol emissions equal the emissions from gasoline.


 * Even if the US corn crop were devoted to the production of ethanol, it would only supply only 13.4 % of the current nation’s gasoline usage.


 * __Thermal energy and electricity from Biomass:__
 * Biomass is cheaper than solar electricity
 * More expensive than wind
 * Believed that the best use of Biomass electricity is to use it as a source of heating