Sugarcane biomass is used to produce ethanol.
Biological material from plants and some animals that can be converted into fuel is known as biomass. When burned, biomass can generate energy in the form of electricity, heat, or chemical energy; however, biomass does not need to be burned to be useful. For example, garbage often includes plant and animal products, and when left to rot, it can create a gas called methane, which is often stored for use as heat and power. There are three types of biomass: bioenergy, bioproducts and biofuels.
How does it work
A man cutting firewood to use as bioenergy.
Every plant contains components that can generate large amounts of energy through a process known as photosynthesis; Biomass harnesses these components, as well as the energy found in a plant’s photosynthesis process, to create fuel. A plant is made up of cells, water, and the compounds used in photosynthesis, the process of using carbon dioxide and energy from the sun to provide the plant with the food or carbohydrates it needs to grow. Biomass takes the components of a plant and creates a mixture of three quarters carbohydrates and one quarter plant matter; These carbohydrates mix with other plant matter to create chemicals, fuel, or energy.
biopower
Every plant contains components that can provide large energy outputs through photosynthesis.
Biopower uses plant matter and turns it into steam. This steam is used to power things like coal engines, wood stoves, and steam engines. Many people use the simplest form of biomass on a regular basis. Cutting down older trees, harvesting the wood, and burning it inside a fireplace or wood stove produces heat. This is a form of biopower.
bioproducts
In the United States, some vehicles run on a blend of 85% bioethanol and 15% gasoline.
Bioproducts created from plant or animal organic matter and can be in the form of chemicals, materials or energy. Some examples include cleaning chemicals made primarily from plants and biodegradable plastics also made from plant materials. It is believed that the new bioproducts will eventually replace the current petroleum and fuel-based chemicals that most cars rely on.
biofuels
With the cost of oil rising dramatically, biomass is an effective alternative to petroleum products in the form of biofuel, which can be used to power vehicles and is made from plant matter. One example is bioethanol, which is blended with gasoline and used in some states as vehicle fuel. A combination of gasoline and bioethanol is often preferred because it works cleaner than straight gasoline and is much cheaper. The plant matter is converted to a combination of ethanol and alcohol and can be used to replace a percentage of the gasoline used.
In 2005, more than 200 gas stations began offering an 85% blend of bioethanol and gasoline. This fuel is cheaper than pure gasoline and more ecological. As an added incentive, distributors offering bioethanol blends now receive tax credits of up to $1 USD per gallon.