1. Chapter 1: BIOMASS RESOURCES & CHARACTERISTICS OF BIOFUELS

2. PART A: BIOMASS RESOURCES

3. Biomass is a fuel made origionally from the sun.
It is usually made up of dead animals and plants.
It's a renewable source because it can be found almost anywhere with plants and trees. 

4. Biomass energy cycle
forest

5. Renewable Energy vs Fossil Fuel Energy
Fossil fuel reserves are limited and will be depleted.
Burning fossil fuels causes environmental concerns eg. GHG emmission.
Energy from biomass releases CO2, but the CO2 is utilized for biosynthesis during the growth of biomass.

6. Carbon cycle

7. Types of Biomass Resources
Sugarcane
Corn
Napier grass
Lignocellulosic waste
Algae

8. Sugar Crops
Includes sugarcane, sugar beets, sweet sorghum, apples, grapes etc.
Molasses – residual syrup remaining from crystallization of sugar from sugarcane and sugarbeets, is also a common feedstock
Pulp and papermill sludges contain wt% glucose
These sugars can be directly fermented by yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae .

9. Sugarcane Brazil is the largest producer (514 million tons in 2007)
India is the second largest producer, followed by China.
It has stalks bunched in stools of 5-50 stalks
Can be grown in regular rotation with other crops.
Requires tropical or subtropical climate.
Time to maturity is between 8-24 months.
Strong sunlight and plentiful water is needed to meet the considerable growth potential.

10. Sugar Beet A biennial root vegetable
High content of sucrose in its root.
Grown in temperate climates
Average sugar (sucrose) content is around 17% of total raw biomass.
World’s largest sugar beet producer: France, USA and Russia

11. Sweet Sorghum
Used in the production of sugar, syrup, fuel and roofing applications.
Thrive under drier and warmer conditions.
Largely produced in Asia, followed by North America.
The juice contains 56% sucrose, 30% glucose, 14% fructose.

12. Starch and Inulin Crops
Corn, potatoes, cassava etc.
Starch is a glucose polymer with 2 main components: amylose and amylopectin
Inulin, like starch, is a storage carbohydrate, but its basic unit is fructose rather than glucose
Inulin is commonly found in tuber crops such as dahlia and Jerusalem artichoke.

13. Corn
Typically planted in the spring when warm temperatures are condusive for growth.
Soil moisture is another key factor that determines the adaptability of corn to an area.
Predominant component of corn is starch, 64-78% of the total mass on a dry basis.
Other carbohydrates include cellulose fiber, pentosans, sucrose and monomeric sugars such as glucose, fructose and raffinose.

14. Wheat China – largest producer, followed by India
Contains 77% starch content (dry basis)

15. Agricultural Residues
It refers to either crop residues or processing residues.
Corn stover – remains in a field after harvesting corn, includes stalks (50%), leaves (22%), cobs (15%) and husks (13%).
Wheat straw
Rice straw

16. Herbaceous Biomass Switchgrass Miscanthus Coastal Bermuda Grass
“Herbaceous biomass is from plants that have a non-woody stem and which die back at the end of the growing season. It includes grains or seeds crops from food processing industry and their by-products such as cereal straw.”
Switchgrass
Miscanthus
Coastal Bermuda Grass

17. Oil Seeds Soybean Rapeseed (Canola) Sunflower Oil Palm
Waste Edible Oil

18. CASE STUDY 1 – lignocelluloses biomass