Biomass energy. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Alternative energy sources

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Biomass is the oldest source of energy, but until recently its use was limited to direct combustion either in open hearths or in furnaces and furnaces, but also with a very low efficiency. Recently, attention to the efficient energy use of biomass has increased significantly, and new arguments have appeared in favor of this:

• the use of plant biomass under the condition of its continuous restoration (for example, new forest plantations after deforestation) does not lead to an increase in CO concentration₂ in the atmosphere;
• in industrialized countries, in recent years, there have been surpluses of cultivated land, which it is advisable to use for energy plantations;
• energy use of waste (agricultural, industrial and domestic) also solves environmental problems;
• Newly created technologies make it possible to use biomass much more efficiently.

The potential of biomass suitable for energy use in most countries is quite large, and considerable attention is paid to its efficient use.

In the United States in 1990, 31 billion kWh of electricity was produced through the use of biomass, in addition, another 10 billion kWh was generated from municipal solid waste (MSW). For 2010, it is planned to generate 59 and 54 billion kWh, respectively. An assessment of the technical potential of various types of biomass, carried out in Germany, gives: the remains of the forestry and wood processing industry - 142 million GJ / year; straw - 104 million GJ / year; biogas - 81 million GJ/year.

These estimates are made under very conservative assumptions. In particular, it is assumed that the share of forest industry waste is 25% of the annual wood growth. Similarly, for straw, its amount is taken into account, which must remain on the field to maintain the humus content in the soil. For biogas, only holdings with at least 20 head of cattle or the equivalent number of pigs or poultry are taken into account.

A serious problem is the energy use of MSW. Waste incineration plants (incinerators) available in many countries of the world are inefficient and unsatisfactory from the point of view of ecology. Therefore, the development of new schemes for the use of MSW seems to be very relevant (see Section 3).

The problem of efficient use of biomass is especially acute for developing countries, primarily for those in which biomass is the only available source of energy. Here, we are mainly talking about the rational use of wood and various agricultural and household waste. It is known that today people in some countries, especially in Africa, are clearing forests for firewood for cooking, and that this process of deforestation is a threat to both local and global climate. The wood-burning hearths used today for cooking have an efficiency of 14-15%. Using more advanced devices, this efficiency can easily be increased to 35-50%, i.e. reduce the need for initial fuel by more than 3 times.

A well-known program in Brazil is dedicated to the production of methanol from sugar cane waste, which is used as a motor fuel for vehicles. However, this example is only interesting for countries with the corresponding climate.

In some countries (China, India, etc.), small installations that utilize waste for one family have become widespread. In these plants, which number in the millions, anaerobic digestion produces biogas for domestic use. These settings are quite simple, but not very perfect. For large farms with a significant amount of waste, more efficient biogas plants are being created.

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