Bioenergy

By:Aaron, Daniel,and Evan

What is bioenergy?

Bioenergy is a renewable energy source made from biomass(which is organic materials such as plants and animals).

How does biomass create energy?

You can grind up corn and separate it into sugars which are then distilled to make ethanol.  Ethanol can be used to power cars.  You can also burn garbage and collect the methane given off that can be used as energy.  Another way is to burn plants and use the steam to generate electricity, but there are still a lot more ways to generate energy from biomass.

Why would you consider using bioenergy?Bioenergy can replace fossil fuels in almost anything, and it is renewable.  Biomass also tends to be cheap.

What are examples of biomass?

Biomass is any organic material like dead corn and dead grass.  It’s also known as biological matter.

How is biomass renewable?

Biomass is renewable, because plants and trees will die and release seeds that will grow into more plants and trees.  The same with all biomass.

What is methane and ethanol fuel?

Methane is a natural gas made by animals.  Ethanol fuel is a fuel that comes from alcohol called ethanol or ethyl alcohol.  Ethyl alcohol can be made from biomass or fossil fuels.  Cars can run on gasohol, 90% ethanol and 10% fossil fuels, but can’t run on pure ethanol.

How could you convert biomass into electricity? You burn it, and collect the steam which spins the turbine, and that generates electricity.  It’s similar to the way coal makes electricity.

How could you convert biomass into various types of gases?  There is only two type of gas, methane and steam.  You can burn trash, peanut shells, sunflower seeds, ect. Then collect the methane and\or steam.

What are the cons of bioenergy?

The cons of using biomass is that you have to grow a lot of plants in order to have a usable amount to use. Meaning you have to use a huge amount of land in order to get something out of it.

Why is bioenergy called what it is?

The word “bioenergy” was invented in the1970s to 1980s.  It came from the combination of the prefix “ bio” which means the study of life, and “energy”, power.   

Cool Facts About bioenergy

• Biomass includes varied organic matter like grass, leaves, wood, wood chips, rice husk, peanut shells, sugarcane fiber, sewage etc.

• Biomass energy is renewable form energy because plants can be grown in a short time. So it is considered one of the key renewable resources of the future. Did you know it already meets 14% of the world’s total energy requirements and 4% of 14% of the energy is the United States alone.

• Scientists are trying to find more efficient ways of using biomass energy so it has greater benefits for the environment than fossilized fuels. Biomass energy will help the world cut down on waste production and emission of greenhouse gasses.

• Biomass is made of complex polymers of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. It also contains small amounts of nitrogen and inorganic materials.

• Although fossil fuels also are formed from ancient biomass, they are not included in biomass as the carbon atoms that they are made of, because it have been out of the carbon cycle for long.

• One of the biomass energy pros is that it is not considered to contribute to carbon dioxide content of the environment. It is so because biomass is formed from carbon dioxide that is absorbed by plants though the process of photosynthesis which is released back into the air once it is burnt. But then why are fossil fuels considered to add to carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere? It is because while fossil fuels are releasing carbon-dioxide into the atmosphere that was removed thousands of years ago, the removal and addition of carbon dioxide though biomass takes place within a shorter period of time. Due to this the carbon dioxide content of the environment is less disturbed when biomass is used than when burning fossil fuels.

• One of the oldest ways of extracting biomass energy is by burning the sources to get heat. The other non combustible methods are through thermal, chemical and biochemical methods.

• About 10% of the biomass energy used by United States comes from garbage. This biomass is used to produce electricity.Biomass can be used to make energy-rich gas called biogas. Biogas is like the gas that we use in most kitchens.

Sources

N., Morris,. Biomass Power. City: Black Rabbit Books, 2009. http://www.altenergy.org/renewables/biomass.htmlhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=active&defl=en&q=define:bioenergy&sa=X&ei=O2mKTan1NIzWtQPxoM2FDA&ved=0CCMQkAE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bioenergy http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01335/biomass.htmhttp://www.bioenergywiki.net/What_is_bioenergyhttp://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01335/biomass.htm?tql-iframe#5http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=biomass_home-basicshttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bioenergyhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bioenergyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanolhttp://i.treehugger.com/process%20schematic.jpghttp://www.powerscorecard.org/tech_detail.cfm?resource_id=1http://www.iptv.org/exploremore/energy/profiles/biomass.cfmhttp://www.inventhp.com/bioenergy-pros-and-cons.htmlhttp://www.digtheheat.com/Biofuel/biofuel_prosandcons.htmWhat is BIOMASS?How Does Biomass Energy Work?Biomass