Chapter 8Biomass Energy Systems
8.1 Biomass Energy
The term biomass is used for materials derived from plants and animals, including their wastes and residues. Biomass is produced by green plants that use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into simple sugar and oxygen. The energy obtained from biomass is known as biomass energy. Photosynthesis is fundamental to the conversion of solar radiation into stored biomass energy. The initial energy in the biomass system is obtained from solar radiation in the form of photosynthesis. In plants, algae and certain types of bacteria, the photosynthetic process results in the release of molecular oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that is used to synthesize carbohydrates (oxygenic photosynthesis). This conversion process consists of a series of chemical reactions that require carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) and store chemical energy in the form of sugar. Light energy from the Sun drives these reactions. Oxygen (O2) is a by-product of photosynthesis and is released into the atmosphere. The following equation summarizes photosynthesis:
The reaction produces
which is glucose and oxygen which is released into atmosphere. The theoretical achievable efficiency of conversion is limited by ...