Used for the longest period of time as a renewable energy, biomass energy extraction is plain procedure. Biomass covers a broad spectrum which ranges from agriculture, trees and sewer processing wastes. It may sound bizarre with all the hype surrounding this form of energy, but in reality, as said, this process of harnessing energy is anything but complicated.
This valuable commodity is trapped inside plants and animal feces which could also be categorized as organic material, and could be used freely and immediately. Three main constituents of biomass are water, carbon dioxide and energy from the sun. As we all know photosynthesis is the process in which the chlorophyll in plants absorbs the light from sun by converting carbon dioxide into starch, also producing biomass. And as the starch is used up in chemical reactions, the carbon dioxide which was initially absorbed is released back to the atmosphere. This energy is multipurpose; could be used to produce heat or light, or even electricity.
There are various types of biomass which can include wood, grass, food waste, paper; virtually anything that is usually considered as ‘trash.’ Most common way of extracting the energy from this list of paraphernalia would be through combustion, that is, burning them. This method, however, is not advised due to the energy loss during the combustion, and not to mention the environmental hazards it may cause. Another, more effective way of reaping this energy is to form an amalgamation of coal and biomass, and then combusting it, this method, called co-firing, is less contaminating. Methane, another fuel, is made by the process of hydrogasification which is achieved by making the carbon in biomass react with hydrogen gas. Plants may also be converted into oil, which can further be used as fuel. This process, the result of reaction between the biomass and carbon monoxide, is more commonly known as hydrogenation, as defined by BiomassGuide.com.
Biochemical processing uses micro-organisms to act upon sewer or related waste, and encapsulates the gas released by the process and uses it as energy. In opposition to burning, plants may also be diffused with water and as a result the created energy may be transformed into other useful forms of energy. A very common example of using biomass for energy purposed would be to burn garbage and the resulting steam used to generate electricity. Of the total energy consumption in the world, 15 percent has been accounted for by biomass. Developed countries rely less on biomass as compared to the developing countries, some of which use biomass as their major source of energy. Recently, many scientists and researchers have diverted their attention to biomass, mostly because it is renewable and in abundance, compared to other sources such as oil, which is already deficient.
Technologies to utilize biomass energy have started a new era, instead of leaving the waste as it is and creating more pollution, Humans have managed to find a way to turn the tables even making this waste into something useful. Hopefully the overview on the workings of biomass will make you realize that recycling is crucial in this point of time.