Energy Conversion

There are different methods that convert biomass into usable energy, we discuss the two methods used at this time, the thermal-chemical and biological factors.

THERMAL-CHEMICAL METHODS

This method is based on the use of heat as a source of biomass conversion. They highly developed for dry biomass, especially for straw and wood.

Processes are following:

Combustion

The combustion of biomass by oxygen from the air, this reaction releases water and carbon dioxide, and can be used for domestic heat and industrial heat production.

Pyrolysis

This is an incomplete combustion at high temperature (500 º C) of biomass in anaerobic conditions. It has long time been used to produce charcoal. This method also releases a lean gas mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen (H2) and light hydrocarbons. This gas, low calorific value, can be used to power diesel engines to produce electricity, or move vehicles. A variant of pyrolysis is the flash. This is done at a higher temperature around 1,000 ° C, and has the advantage of ensuring an almost complete gasification of biomass. It optimized in this way the "gas poor".

The facilities in which you make the pyrolysis and gasification of biomass are called gasifiers. The poor gas produced can be used directly or can serve as a basis for the synthesis of methanol, which could replace gasoline to power internal combustion engines.

Gasification has advantages over the original biomass:

The gas produced is more versatile and can be used for the same purposes as natural gas;
It can be burned to produce heat and steam power in the internal combustion engines and gas turbines to generate electricity;
Produces a fuel relatively free of impurities and causes less pollution problems when burned.
 

BIOLOGICAL METHODS.

It is a fermentation that converts biomass into ethanol (biofuel). This alcohol is produced by fermentation of sugars

Another biological method is the methane fermentation, which is the anaerobic digestion of biomass by bacteria. It is typically used for processing wet biomass. In the fermenters or digesters, cellulose is the substance that breaks down into a gas, which contains about 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide. This process requires a temperature of 30-35 ° C. These digesters for their high degree of autonomy have a favorable option for intensive livestock farms.