There are numerous types of plants and so many ways from which energy can be produced in the world. Typically there are two approaches for using biomass energy, one is growing plants for energy use and second is using plant’s residues for other things. There is no best approach for using biomass energy because of climate differences from region to region, soils, geography, population and other such things.
Energy Crops
Energy crops or power crops can be grown in farms on massive level just like food crops. Best energy crops are the trees and grasses while other less agriculturally sustainable crops like corn tend can be used also for energy purposes.
Trees
There are some types of trees, which grow very fast, and some from them grow back after being cut off close to the ground, this characteristic of such trees is called “coppicing”. Because of coppicing trees can be harvested every three to eight years for 20 or 30 years before replanting. Such type trees are also called “short-rotation woody crops” they grow almost 40 feet high in the years between harvests.
The Northern United States is cooler and wetter region. In this region there are varieties of poplar, maple, black locust, and willow, which are the best energy producing crop trees.
The Southeast of the United States is the warmer region; in this region there are sycamore and sweet gum are the best fast growing energy crop trees. While Florida and California’s warmest parts are having eucalyptus trees, which also grow fast.
Grasses
There were thin-stemmed perennial grasses that were covering the prairies of the United States before the settlers replaced them with corn and beans.
In main native varieties there are switch grass, big bluestem, and others, which grow fast in many parts of the country and can be harvested for up to 10 years before replanting.
Thick-stemmed grasses such as sugarcane and elephant grass grow in hot and wet climate. For such type grasses climate of Florida and Hawaii is best.
Other energy crops
Another type of grass, which is usually grown for food, is corn and sorghum. As these crops are planted every years and these are looked after very closely by using fertilizers, pesticides, and energy.
Currently in United States corn mostly provides the liquid fuel from biomass. There are more supportive ways to gain energy from plants.
Oil Plants
Oil plants such as soybeans and sunflowers make and that oil can be used for making fuels. Corn, soybean, and sunflower needs serious supervision even then on long term there is possibility that they wont be sustainable.
There is another different type of oil crop microalgae. Microalgae are tiny aquatic plants, which grow extremely fast in the hot, shallow, saline water found in some lakes in the desert Southeast.
In 2004, a Massachusetts based company, Green Technologies had harnessed the ability to capture and use the carbon dioxide emissions from power plants as a means to stimulate algae growth. Then algae were converted into different types of fuels. This technology of extracting fuels from algae is known as Emissions-to-Biofuels.
This technology has shown a great promise and it is having the ability to transform the way utilities produce energy.
Biomass Residues
When the plants and their wood have been used for other purposes such as for furniture then its left over waste can be used for producing energy.
Plants and animal waste is generated in large quantity by the forestry, agricultural and manufacturing industries. While city waste in forms of garbage and sewage is also a source for biomass energy.
Forestry or Wood Waste
Currently the forestry wastes are the largest source of heat and electricity as lumber, pulp, and paper mills use them to power their factories.
One of the largest wood wastes is the tree tops and branches that are left behind after timber harvesting. Some of this forestry waste should have to be left behind to recycle necessary nutrients to the forest and to provide habitat for birds and mammals while some can be collected for energy production.
In other sources of wood waste there is sawdust and bark from sawmills. Those mentioned wood waste are made when wood is cut for manufacturing furniture and organic sludge from pulp and paper mills.
Agriculture
Same like forestry timber harvesting, most crop residues are left in the field. Some of that crop waste should be left to maintain cover against erosion and recycle nutrients while some can be collected for fuel.
Animal farms also produce a lot of wet wastes in the form of dung. Those animal wastes are thrown in the field for fertilizing it and also disposing the waste. Over fertilization can runoff into rural lakes and streams and can contaminate drinking water.
Crop processing for food also produce so much useable waste for energy.
Cities
In cities people generate biomass wastes in various forms such urban wood waste and shipping pallets, and leftover construction wood waste.
The decomposable garbage such as paper, food, leather, and yard waste produce the gas when they decomposes in landfills.
Sewage can also be used as energy, some sewage treatment plants capture the methane coming off from sewage then it’s burned for heat and power. This method reduces the air pollution and emissions of global warming gases.
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