King Saud University

Sustainable Energy Technologies

Center (SET)
BIOMASS GROUP

Introduction to Biomass Energy

Conversions

by Dr. Salim Mokraoui

PhD Chemical Eng.
MS. Mechanical Eng.

E-mail: smokraoui@ksu.edu.sa
Tel: 014676832
Outline

Introduction
1. Energy Context
2. Biomass as Renewable Energy Resources

Bioenergy production overview
1. Biomass to energy routes
2. Energy conversion systems

Conversion Technologies
1. Thermochemical Processes
2. Biochemical Processes

1 2
 Introduction
Energy context
• World population is rising (8.3 billion by 2030)

Global energy use increase

• GHG emissions to the atmosphere (especially CO2)

• Renewable energy offer a good mechanism to reduce carbon

emissions.

Meet the requirements (Sustainability)

2 3
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 Introduction
Biomass as a renewable resource
• Biomass is biological organic matter derived from living or
recently-living organisms
• Bioenergy is the energy contained (stored) in biomass
• Biomass is an extremely important energy source, available
nearly everywhere
• Biomass encompasses a large variety of materials, including
wood from various sources, agricultural and industrial residues,
and animal and human waste
• Two forms of biomass
Raw: forestry products, grasses, crops, animal manure, and
aquatic products (seaweed)
Secondary: materials that undergone significant changes
from raw biomass. Paper, cardboard, cotton, natural rubber
products, and used cooking oils. 4
 Introduction
Biomass as a renewable resource

5 6
How Biomass gets its energy

6
 The carbon cycle
Example of Bioethanol Production

7
Bioenergy Production Overview

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 Bioenergy
• Bioenergy is the energy retrieved from biomass sources. It is the
largest used renewable energy resource in the world
• Large bioenergy potential: Biomass resource is widely available
and diversified in the Kingdom: Livestock waste, Municipal and
Industrial effluents (paper, plastic, food, …etc.), Poultry waste,
Sewage sludge
• Bioenergy is a significant mean for waste disposal to prevent
environmental pollution and allow economic stability
• Main Technologies:
– Biogas based power plant technology
– Gasification power plant technology
– Biodiesel and Bioethanol Plants technology

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Biomass provides more than 10 % of Global energy use
(International Energy Agency, 2013)

10
Renewable Power Capacities in World
(International Energy Agency, 2012*)

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 Bioenergy Production Routes
Combustion Heat

Char, Bio-oil
Thermoche Pyrolysis Fuel gas
mical
Platform
Gasification Fuel gases Combined
(Syngas, H2)
heat &
power,
Anaerobic Biogas Fuels,
Biomass Biochemical digestion (methane)
Chemicals
Platform
Feedstock and
Fermentation Bioethanol
materials

Chemical Trans-
Platform Biodiesel
esterification
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 Pyrolysis products

Bio-oil Char Syngas

Bioethanol Biodiesel

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Bio-Power generation of top 20 countries for 2010-2012
(International Energy Agency, 2012)

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Global Production of Bioethanol and Biodiesel
(International Energy Agency, 2012)

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Energy generation systems

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Energy generation systems

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Energy generation systems
Steam turbine

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Energy generation systems
Combined heat & power system

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Biomass Energy Conversions
Technologies
1- Thermochemical processes

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Thermochemical conversion options

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 Pyrolysis

• Thermal decomposition of solid

biomass by heat in absence of
oxygen
• First step of in combustion and
gasification processes
• Biomass is converted into solid
charcoal, liquid (bio-oil) and gas
• The process is endothermic
• Because some oxygen is
unavoidable in any pyrolysis
system, a small amount of
oxidation occurs
Dry Biomass  char + (CO, CO2, H2, H2O (g), CH4) + tars + Ash

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 Pyrolysis
Classification of Pyrolysis methods

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 Typical Pyrolysis results

Temperature profile in standard Pyrolysis test

800
furnace
charging temperature

600
Temperature [ C]
o

mean bed temperature

400

200

furnace
heating carbonization cooling

0
-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140
Time [min.]

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 Gasification

• Conversion of solid biomass into

combustible gas mixture called
producer gas (CO + H2 + CH4)
in presence of limited (O2/air)
• Involves partial combustion of
biomass (controlled combustion)
• Four distinct process in the
gasifier

Basic Process Chemistry schematic

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 Gasification

Producer Gas Characteristics

Component Rice Husk Woody Biomass

CO 15-20% 15-20%
H2 10-15% 15-20%
CH4 Upto 4% Upto 3%
N2 45-55% 45-50%
CO2 8-12% 8-12%
Gas C.V. (kcal/Nm3) Above 1050 Above 1100
Gas generated in Nm3/kg 2 2.5
of biomass
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 Gasification

Classification of Gasification methods

Classification Conditional factor

Gasification pressure Normal pressure (0.1-0.12 MPa), High pressure (0.5-

2.5 MPa)
Gasification Low (< 700 °C), High (> 700 °), High temperature
temperature decomposition (> ash fusion point)
Gasification agent Air, oxygen, steam and combination of them, carbon
dioxide for particular time
Heating (temperature Direct (heat generation from reaction of partial
zone formation) gasification raw material and oxygen)
Indirect (external heat)

Gasifier types Fixed bed, flow-bed, circulating flow bed, entrained

bed, mixing bed, rotary kiln, twin tower, molten
furnace

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Gasifier types

• Updraft Gasifier

+ Suitable for moderate outputs [2-12

MWe]
+ Good fuel flexibility [fines, small & large
chips]
+ Good turndown
- Low gas quality
- Very high tars [100g/nm3] – requires
extensive secondary tar cracking with
catalysts [Ni based or
dolomite]
- High capital cost

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Gasifier types

• Downdraft Gasifier
+ Very low tar gas [< 1 g/nm3]
+ Good gas CV [~5 MJ/nm3]
+ Simple gas train possible
+ Modular design
+ Simple construction and operation

- Limited scalability [0.5 MWe~ 500 kg/h]

- Precise fuel requirements [size, shape,
moisture]
- Engine costs can be high relative to other
costs
- Limited turndown

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Gasifier types

• Twin-fire Gasifier
+ Suitable for large electrical outputs [> 5-
10 MWe]
+ More flexible in use of steam, air,
steam/O2 mix
+ High gas CV – 8-12 MJ/nm3
+ High overall electrical efficiencies [gas
turbine use]
- Complex design
- Limited turndown
- Stable operation difficult [DPs, gas flows]
- High tar levels in gas – extensive
cleaning/catalytic cracking required [Ni
based
or dolomites].
- Feed pretreatment to small particles

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Gasifier types

• Crossdraft Gasifier
+ Operable at very small scale (10kW and
below)

- Minimum tar conversion capabilitites

- High exit gas velocity and temperature

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Gasification Technology scale output

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Example of gasification unit in UK

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Biomass Energy Conversions
Technologies
2- Biochemical processes

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 Anaerobic Digestion
• AD is a series of biological processes in which microorganisms
breakdown biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen
• End product of the process:
1. Biogas: a mixture of CH4 and CO2 mainly which is combusted to
generate electricity and/or heat or processed into renewable
natural gas and transportation fuel
2. Digested solid: residue from the digester, can be composted and
applied as land amendment or used for dairy bedding
3. Nutrients: residue from liquid digestate, used in agriculture as
fertilizer
• Various feedstock can be used:
Livestock manure, municipal wastewater solids, food waste,
industrial wastewater and residuals, fats, and other organic waste
streams

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Anaerobic Digestion
Principle

• Initial hydrolysis of particulate

matter and larger molecules
• Fermentation (acidogenesis)
(formation of acids) generating
primarily acetate but also other
Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA)
• Acetogenesis (formation of
acetate), Hydrogen is used as an
electron acceptor
• Methanogenesis
Acetate  CO2+ CH4
(major pathway app. 70%)
4H2 + CO2  CH4 + 2H2O

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 Anaerobic Digestion

Parameters and conditions influencing AD

Parameters Optimal conditions

Total solid content Low (<10 %)
(TS) Medium (10-20 %)
High (20-40%)
Temperature Mesophilic (20-45 °C)
Thermophilic (50-65 °C)
Retention time 15-30 days for mesophilic
12-14 days for thermophilic
pH Optimum between 6 – 7
Low pH inhibit acidogenesis stage
High pH is toxic for methane forming bacteria
Carbon to Nitrogen Optimum between 20 – 30
ratio (C:N) High C:N  rapid N consumption  lower gas production
Low C:N  ammonia accumulation  toxicity
Organic loading rate High OLR  accumulation of inhibiting substances  low
(OLR) biogas yield
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Anaerobic Digestion

Effect of operating temperature

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 Anaerobic Digestion
Biogas properties

Biogas potential of some biomass substrate

Type of biomass Biogas yield [m3/t]
Beef slurry 25
Dairy waste 55
Cuttings from beet 75
Green waste 110
Biowaste 120
Fresh fat 400
Old fat 800

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Anaerobic Digestion
Biogas properties

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Anaerobic Digestion
Typical Biogas Power Plant

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 Anaerobic Digestion
Schematic of a typical agricultural AD system

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Anaerobic Digestion

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 Anaerobic Digestion
Biogas Production at 2012 and trend to 2022 (Pike Research, 2012)

1 toe = 11.63 MWh

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 Fermentation

Bioethanol production process

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 Fermentation
Bioethanol production flow diagram

Feedstock: corn, wheat, sugarcane, rice, potato, …

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 Conclusion
1. Biomass is a sustainable and reliable energy resource
2. The growth rate of biomass energy use is about 1 %
each year
3. Technological barriers have to be overcame in order
to promote the bioenergy development:
– Upgrading the bio-fuel quality by extracting harmful species
especially for biogas and syngas (ammonium, sulfur
compounds, silicon based compounds, particulate, …)
– Enhance the reaction mechanism for both AD and
gasification processes

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Thank you

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