Integrated systems biomass production-conversion

For the total integrated biomass production—conversion system, the arithmetic product of the efficiencies of biomass production and conversion is the efficiency of the overall system. An overall conversion efficiency near 45% would thus be produced by integrating the biomass plantation illustrated in Table 30 with a conversion process that operated at an overall efficiency of 50%. Every operation in the series is thus equally important. 

Normal weathering processes that occur in nutritious soils release nutrients, but they are often not available at rates that promote maximum biomass yields. Fertilization is usually necessary to maximize yields. Since nitrogenous fertilizers are currently manufactured from fossil fuels, mainly natural gas, and since fertilizer needs are usually the most energy intensive of all the inputs in a biomass production system, a careful analysis of the integrated biomass production-conversion system is necessary to ensure that net energy production is positive. Trade-offs between synfuel outputs, nonsolar energy inputs. 

Integrated Biomass Production-Conversion Systems and Net Energy Production... 

TABLE 14.1 Framework for Assessment and Design of Integrated Biomass Production-Conversion System for Electric Power Production ... 

Transportation Green wood chips transported to conversion facility in center of integrated biomass production-conversion system. 

TABLE 14.5 Selected Integrated Biomass Production-Conversion System Power Modules Proposed for Development in the United States... 

FIGURE 14.3 Integrated biomass production-conversion system for growth and processing of alfalfa to yield high-protein animal feed supplement and electricity for the grid. From DeLong... 

TABLE 14.14 Net Energy Analysis of the Thermochemical Conversion of Natural Gas and Biomass to Ethanol in an Integrated Feedstock Production-Conversion System"... 

The other prerequisite is the fact that society not only expects competitive, but clean systems and products as well. One has to look at the whole chain of production and conversion of biomass to get a clear picture of the environmental consequences. For the feeding material there is a strong preference for woody or grassy materials [7]. The emission of the power plant has to be low and the strict Dutch rules for waste incineration installations are taken as a point of departure [5]. The whole-integrated system has the further advantage that it produces renewable products for which there is a market today electricity, heat, and FT-liquids. Furthermore, the liquid fuels form an attractive energy carrier and storage medium. 

The biorefinery concept is analogous to the modem petrochemical refinery, which is an integrated system of the production of fuels and other value-added products from the biological conversion of various fractions of biomass at different process conditions. A broader classification of the commercial products obtained by the biochemical conversion route is enlisted in Table 25.1. The demand for biofuels will increase to 180/XX) milUon liters, out of which bioethanol constitutes 73% of the demand (Dutta et al., 2012). The increasing demand for biofuels is mainly... 

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