BIOFUELS

 DEFINITION

Any fuel that is derived from biomass—that is, plant or algae material or animal waste.

Biofuels (and bioenergy in general) are regarded as a renewable energy source.

In general, biofuels emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions when burned in an engine and are generally considered carbon-neutral fuels as the carbon emitted has been captured from the atmosphere by the crops used in production.

TERMINOLOGIES

 Conventional biofuels (first generation)

First-generation biofuels (also denoted as “conventional biofuels”) are made from food crops grown on arable land. The crop’s sugar, starch, or oil content is converted into biodiesel or ethanol, using transesterification, or yeast fermentation

Advanced biofuels (second generation)

To avoid a “food versus fuel” dilemma, second-generation biofuels (also called advanced biofuels or sustainable biofuels) are made from waste products. These are derived from agriculture and forestry activities such as rice straw, rice husk, wood chips, and sawdust.

TYPES LIQUID :

Bioethanol

Based on fermentation of sugar, starches or cellulose by action of enzymes and microorganisms.

Biodiesel

It is produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is a liquid similar in composition to fossil/mineral diesel.

Feedstocks for biodiesel include animal fats, vegetable oils, soy, rapeseed, jatropha, mahua, mustard, flax, sunflower, palm oil, hemp, field pennycress, Pongamia pinnata and algae.

GASEOUS:

Biogas

Biogas is a mixture composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the process of anaerobic digestion of organic material by micro-organisms. Other trace components of this mixture includes water vapor, hydrogen sulfide, siloxanes, hydrocarbons, ammonia, oxygen, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen

Syngas

Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and various hydrocarbons, is produced by partial combustion of biomass after pyrolysis(high temperature).