Transcript Turtles
Biomass Energy
ALEX AND EMILY H.
History
Was used ever since humans discovered fire
Was used as primary source for heat and cooking
until the industrial revolution, 1860’s
Primary Source
Crop residues
Energy plantations
Animal and industrial waste
Needed fields of plants and trees to maintain enough
fuel to keep the plant running
Pro
Converts waste produced naturally
In theory, fuel source can never run out
Available all over the world and forms from
anything
Can be converted into liquid gases
Cons
Uses large areas of land
Land use limits area
Overuse can cause deforestation
Expensive to turn in to alcohols to make the
electricity
Creates as much carbon dioxide as burning fossils
fuels
Environmental Effects
If not burned properly, then big contributor to global
warming and greenhouse gases
Produces air pollution, and more environmental
issues then any other form of producing electricity
other then hydropower
Pollutants
Carbon dioxide
Carbon monoxide
Hydrocarbons
Oxygenated organics
Free radicals and chlorinated organics
Geographic Distribution
Anywhere there is plant life of animals are
One third of the worlds population burns wood and
other organic material.
Cost to Maintain
Maryland based 60 megawatt power plant cost
approximately $250,000,000 to build
Annual biomass cost: $1,303,200
How It works
Needs the biomass form to work
Many different types of ways to convert to power
Most common is similar to a coal-burning power
plant
First, gets turned into gases and it sent through filter
Second, burned in boilers to create heat
Next, heat turns water into steam
Then, steam turns turbine connected to generator
Finally, generator produces electricity and then is sent to
homes and businesses
Cycle
How much is there?
Enough to replace all power created from nuclear
energy, or replace half of nations gasoline use
We only use 7% each year to generate electricity
Resource Question #1
What are the different ways to convert to
electricity?
Thermal conversion
Chemical conversion
Biochemical conversion
Resource Question #2
How much profit do biomass plants earn
each year?
$5,000,000-$15,000,000 per year
Work cited
http://www.zilkha.com/wp3/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Combined.jpg
http://www.solar-power-made-affordable.com/biomass-energy-facts.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/biomass/advant.html
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/impacts/environmental
-impacts-of.html
http://cr.middlebury.edu/es/altenergylife/sbiomass.htm
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/technology_and_impacts/energy_technologies/h
ow-biomass-energy-works.html
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biomass.html
http://tdn.com/news/local/article_6bf94516-5b35-11df-b4f3-001cc4c002e0.html
http://www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk/portal/page?_pageid=75,15179&_dad=portal&
_schema=PORTAL
http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/people/IMAGES/energy_biomassmap.gif
The book p. 259