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EngiTech
Renewable Energy Technology Learn
Course Lecture Series Plex

Module: Biomass Energy 5

Prepared by
Engr. Dr. Muhammad Farhan

@farhan. M 1
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Biomass Cogeneration
• Cogeneration is defined as the sequential generation of two different forms
of useful energy from a single primary energy source, typically mechanical
energy and thermal energy
• Mechanical energy is used to drive an alternator for producing electricity.
Thermal energy can be used either for direct process applications or for
producing steam.
• Cogeneration cleans up the environment, generates power for in-house
consumption and earns additional revenue from the sale of surplus electricity
• The main equipment required for bagasse-based cogeneration projects
comprises high temperature/high-pressure bagasse-fired boilers, a steam
turbine and a grid-interfacing system.

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Biomass Cogeneration
• Experience shows that when steam generation temperature/pressure is
increased from 400°C/32 bar to 485°C/66 bar, more than 80 kWh of
additional electricity is generated from each tonne of cane crushed.
Additional power generation with increase in pressure and temperature of a
typical 2500 TCD sugar mill is tabulated in Table

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Case Study
• A progressive sugar mill in UP crushing 11000 tonnes of cane per
day is deployed at 87 bar/ 525°C steam configuration to
cogenerate over 18 MW of surplus electricity.
• The existing 430 sugar mills have an estimated cogeneration power
potential of 5000 MW.
• Around 491 MW of such power plants has already been
commissioned up to 31-12-05 and more is under construction.

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Cogeneration Plant in Rice Mill

• Husk produced is effectively utilised for steam production,
which is used for both process and power generation. The
characteristics of rice husk as fuel are given in Table where
the figures show percentage by weight.
• The calorific value of rice husk varies from 2637 to 3355
kcal / kg depending on variety.
• The ‘Fluidized Bed Combustion’ (FBC) boiler is used to
ensure complete combustion
• Steam from the boiler (6000 kg/h) is fed to the back
pressure turbine* coupled with a 350 kW electric generator
• Input steam conditions are: 6000 kg/ h having pressure 32
atm at 400°C
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@farhan. M 5
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• Steam pressure after

expanding in turbine 3.5
kg/cm2 is utilised for three
processes (i) Soaking (ii)
Parboiling and (iii) Drying.
• Pressurized deaerator supplies
water at 6000 kg/h to the
boiler.
• 3000 kg/h of hot water
received from turbine exhaust
after the drying process.
• Thus, a 50 tonne/batch
capacity rice mill generates
350 kW from rice husk which
is
• normally dumped and wasted.
At present 47% rice husk is
used as energy source.
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@farhan. M 6
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Ethanol From Biomass

• Ethanol is ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH), a
colourless flammable liquid. It is a
renewable energy source which can
substitute petroleum products. Ethanol can
be produced from a variety of biomass
materials, containing sugar, starch and
cellulose. The best-known feedstock under
three categories are:
• Sugars: sugarcane, sugar beet, sweet
sorghum, grapes, molasses
• Starches: maize, wheat, barley, potatoes,
cassava, rice
• Cellulose: wood, straw, stems of grasses,
bamboo, sugarcane bagasse
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Ethanol as Fuel
• In the USA, anhydrous ethanol (10%) is blended with petrol (90%) to
produce ‘gasohol’ a good substitute for petrol in automobiles without any
engine modifications
• Brazil, the leader in ethanol production enhanced ethanol doping to 25-26%
with petrol to tide over the soaring oil prices
• Molasses is a residue of sugar factory from which balance 40-^17% sugar
cannot be obtained by conventional methods. But molasses are fermented
with a yeast and alcohol is separated in a distillation column.
• Ethanol yield is 6 times higher if the sugarcane juice is directly fermented
instead of molasses. One tonne of sugarcane with sugar content of 13%
yields about 70 litres of ethanol through direct fermentation of juice. Sugar
content in molasses is only 2%

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Biodiesel
• Biodiesel is the name of diesel fuel made from vegetable oil or animal fats.
• The monoesters produced by trans-esterifying vegetable oil are called ‘biodiesel '
having low fuel viscosity with high octane number and heating value.
• Endurance tests show that biodiesel can be adopted as an alternative fuel for
existing diesel engines without modifications.
• In EU and USA, edible vegetable oil like sunflower, groundnut, soyabean and
cotton seed, etc. are used to produce biodiesel.
• The concept
• dates back to 1885, when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to
run on vegetable oil.
• In recent past the use of bio oil as an alternative renewable fuel to compete with
petroleum was proposed during 1980
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@farhan. M 9
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Biodiesel
• The advantages of biodiesel as engine fuel are:
• Biodegradable and produces 80% less C02 and 100% less S02 emissions
• Renewable
• Higher octane number
• Can be used as neat fuel (100% biodiesel) or mixed in any ratio with petro-
diesel
• Has a higher flash point

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@farhan. M 10
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Biofuel Petrol
• Shell oil company started selling petrol containing 10% cellulosic ethanol in
Ottawa.
• Biofuel is produced from wheat straw. Logen’s process converts biomass into
cellulostic ethanol using a combination of thermal, chemical and biochemical
techniques.
• Yield of cellulosic ethanol is 340 litres per tonne of fibre.
• Lignin is the plant fibre is used to drive the process by generating stream and
electricity, thus, eliminating the need of coal or natural gas.
• Cellulosic ethanol is identical to ethanol, but produces up to 90% less C02
than petrol.

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Future of Biomass Energy & Global Scene

• Use of Biomass is growing globally. Modern biomass has potential to
penetrate in four segments.
• Process heat applications in industries generating biomass waste. Cooking
energy in domestic and commercial sectors (through charcoal and briquetts).
Electricity generation and Transportation sector with liquid fuels.
• In US 45 billion kWh of electricity is from biomass and 4 billion gallon of
ethanol is used in vehicles.
• Biomass supports 66000 jobs in the US. In Sweden, biomass and peat
contribute 12% of total energy while in Austria this-figures is 13%.
• World wide biomass contributes 14% of total energy and it is 38% in
developing countries especially in rural sector.
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@farhan. M 12
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Environmental Benefits
• Biomass energy brings several environmental benefits-reduces air and water
pollution, increases soil quantity and reduces erosion, and improve wildlife
habitat
• Biomass use for energy reduces C02 emissions by 90% compared with fossil
fuel
• Water pollution is reduced, as little fertilizers and pesticides are used to grow
energy crops. Planting poplar trees in buffers along water ways, runoff from
corn field is captured, making streams cleaner.
• biomass crops create better wildlife habitat than food crops, being native
plants which attract birds and small mammals
• In addition to above, biomass offers economic and energy security benefits.
By growing our fuel at home, oil import is reduced and farmers get money
for their products
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@farhan. M 13