Biomass fuel conversion, technologies

Research is being done in the United States and worldwide to lower some ot the barriers to biofuels. Researchers hope to develop high-yield, fast-growing feedstocks for reliable biomass fuel supplies. Research is also being done to improve the efficiency of energy conversion technologies so that more of the biomass is utilized. 

In principle biomass is a useful fuel for fuel cells many of the technologies discussed above for using biomass as a fuel produce either methane or hydrogen directly and as highlighted below synthesis gas production from biomass for conversion to methanol is an attractive option. Cellulose-based material may be converted to a mixture of hydrogen (70% hydrogen content recovered), CO2 and methane by high-temperature treatment with a nickel catalyst. 

The chapters that follow are based on lectures presented at the Idecat conference on Catalysis for Renewables , Rolduc, The Netherlands, which had been organized to discuss different technology options and related catalytic advances or challenges. Whereas the main focus is on biomass related catalytic technologies, lectures on fossil fuel technology as well as solar and biotechnological conversion paths were also included. 

Energy sources and conversion— biomass, batteries, fuel celts and fuel cell technology, hydrogen as a fuel, liquid and gaseous fuels from coal, oil shale, tar sands, nuclear fission and fusion, lithium lor thermonuclear reactors, insulating materials, and solar energy. 

As defined above, biomass materials can be quite varied with a wide range of physical, fuel, and chemical properties. This variability in the inherent properties of biomass resources determines conversion technology options that are appropriate for specific applications. 

So, as the comparison of technology related data and the comparison of specific cost are not likely to describe competitiveness for different kinds of biomass conversion technologies, it seems to be necessary to choose the application of technologies as a basis for describing the competitive situation. The term application is used in this paper to describe a plant and its purpose, size, the fuel used, the aimual operation time, the specific labour cost and the cost for the conventional alternatives given for the investor. 

Pyrolysis of biomass is a thermochemical conversion technology of solid biomass into a liquid ( pyrolysis oil , bio-oil ). This liquid can be used as a fuel with properties comparable to (crude) mineral oils. The pyrolysis process itself is not subject to this paper, the technology is described in (6), where there is also given a equation for calculating the cost of the pyrolysis oil depending on plant size and feedstock price. 

Science Applications, Inc., has recently completed a comprehensive technical and economic assessment of producing methanol from biomass feedstocks employing developed gasification technology. This study includes an assessment of biomass availability and the distribution and markets for methanol fuels as well as thermochemical conversion technology. 

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