Module 11: Agricultural Wastes Into Bioenergy Flashcards
fossil fuels
petroleum, natural gas, coal
how much energy consumption is used by fossil fuels?
79%
what is the primary end user of petroleum?
transportation sector
- petroleum is directly used as fuel for vehicles, air gas
what is the primary end users of natural gas?
residential sector and the industrial sector (includes agriculture, manufacturing, and mining)
what is most natural gas converted to?
electricity at the powerplant before being used
how much energy consumption is renewable energy?
12%
who uses renewable energy?
all sectors - industrial, transportation, residential, and commercial
how much of kinetic energy is converted to electricity before going to the end user?
over half
how much energy comes from other sources than the sun, such as win, nuclear, geothermal, and hydroelectric?
16%
photosynthesis
process by which energy from the sun is stored in the carbon-to-carbon bonds of plant or algae biomass. when we burn wood, coal, gasoline, or natural gas, we release that energy in carbon-to-carbon bonds to do work
obtained from the processing of crude oil, natural gas, and other hydrocarbon compounds. Products include motor gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene, petrochemical feedstocks, petroleum coke, asphalt, road oil, other products. Excludes biofuels that have been
blended. Units: gallons, barrels
petroleum
A gaseous mixture of hydrocarbon compounds, primarily methane, formed deep beneath the earth’s surface over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals, chemicals, heat, and pressure.
Excludes supplemental gaseous fuels. Units: cubic feet.
natural gas
A combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons formed from plant remains that have been compacted, hardened, chemically altered, and metamorphosed by heat and pressure over geologic time. Units: short tons
coal
are naturally replenishing but flow limited. They are virtually inexhaustible in duration but limited in the
amount of energy that is available per unit of time. Includes biomass, conventional hydroelectric power, geothermal, solar, and wind energy. We are only focusing on biomass
renewable energy
bioenergy
renewable energy produced from organic matter
carbon neutral
not adding to the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere during photosynthesis, store chemical energy from the sun in the carbon bonds of plant cells. energy and carbon dioxide is released when that plant is eaten, decomposed, burned
new carbon
recently fixed carbon via photosynthesis. if used for a biomass feedstock, it is renewable
old carbon
carbon that was fixed by photosynthesis millions of years ago and transformed over time into fossil fuels. use of fossil fuels adds old carbon to the atmosphere and is considered carbon positive
biomass for bioenergy production
any plant derived organic matter available on a renewable basis. biomass can substitute for fossil fuels in the production of energy. biomass for energy production can be used directly into liquids or gasses
what are some examples of biomass for energy production?
- crops
- residues
- wastes
biomass feedstocks
the components within biomass that are targeted for direct use as a fuel or conversion to either liquid or a gas
what are the benefits of a robust bioenergy industry?
- supplying domestic clean energy sources
- reducing US dependence on foreign oil
- generating US jobs
- revitalizing rural economies
what biomass resources are derived from plant and algae materials?
- crop wastes
- forest residues
- purpose grown grasses
- woody energy crops
- microalgae
- urban wood waste
- food waste
what are the types of biofuels?
-cellulosic ethanol
- biodiesel
biopower
convert renewable biomass fuels into heat and electricity using processes like those used with fossil fuels
what are the three ways to harvest the energy stored in biomass?
- burning
- bacterial decay
- conversion to a gas or liquid fuel
