BIOGAS CONVERSION PROCESSES

1. Biomass Conversion
Technologies

2. What is Biomass?
 All living and recently living
organisms, animal/plant waste,
industrial and municipal waste
 Categories
 Biofuels
 Biopower
 Bioproducts
 Biorefineries

3. Conversion Technologies
Biochemical Platform
(Sugar)
Thermochemical
Platform
• Pyrolysis
• Gasification
Biogas Platform
(Anaerobic Digestion)Biomass
Feedstock
Carbon Rich Chains
Platform (Biodiesel)
Combined
Heat & Power,
Fuels,
Chemicals,
and Materials
Biochemical Platform
(Sugar)
Thermochemical
Platform
• Pyrolysis
• Gasification
Biogas Platform
(Anaerobic Digestion)Biomass
Feedstock
Carbon Rich Chains
Platform (Biodiesel)
Combined
Heat & Power,
Fuels,
Chemicals,
and Materials

4. Biochemical Conversion
 Plant matter – hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin
 Pretreatment
 Hydrolysis
 Sugar Fermentation

5. Thermochemical Conversion
 Gasification,
Pyrolysis, Direct
Hydrothermal
Liquefaction
 Carbon monoxide
and Syngas
(Hydrogen)

6. Pyrolysis
 Absence of oxygen
 Thermal
degradation
 Liquid pyrolysis oil

7. Anaerobic Digestion
 Biogas Platform -
Methane
 Decomposition -
microorganisms
 Anaerobic Digesters
 Four Main
Processes
 Uses wastes and
turns into valuable
compost

8. Transesterification
 “Biodiesel” Platform
 Takes vegetable oil, animal fat, or grease
into biodiesel – fatty acid methyl ester
 Base catalyzed of the oil with alcohol,
direct acid catalyzed, and conversion of
the oil to fatty acids and then to alkyl
esters with acid catalysts

9. Energy Crops
 Specific purpose of
producing energy
 DOE – switchgrass,
willow, poplar
 Selective breeding,
genetic engineering

10. Biomass Today
 Construction of large-scale Biorefineries
 Improved Catalysis Technology
 High Selectivity
 Less Energy Intensive Conditions
 Reduction of Unit Operations
 Combined Government and Industry
Efforts

11. Questions?

12. References
 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Biomass Program: Biomass
Basics, November 2006, http://www.eere.energy.gov/biomass.
 National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Biomass Research, November
2006, http://www.nrel.gov/biomass.
 Energy Information Administration, Biomass, August 2005,
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/biomass/biomass.h
tml.
 Dutton, Gail. Industry Takes Another Look at Biomass: New Policy
Encourage Growth of Technology, Genetic Engineering News v. 21, n.
5. March 1, 2001. http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Look-At-Biomass-
Growth.htm