Biomass for energy often mean plant base material although can equally apply to both<br /><br />animal and vegetable draw from material. Biomass is actually a biological material<br /><br />derive form living or recently living organisms. Biomass chemical composition is carbon<br /><br />based and is composed of a mixture of organic molecules containing hydrogen, usually<br /><br />including atoms of oxygen, often nitrogen and also small quantities of other atoms,<br /><br />including alkali, alkaline earth and heavy metals, metals are often found in functional<br /><br />molecules such as the porphyrins which include chlorophyll which contains magnesium.<br /><br />There are five basic categories of material of biomass such as:<br /><br />•Virgin wood- from forestry, arboriculture activities or from wood processing.<br /><br />•Energy crops- high yield crops grown specifically for energy applications<br /><br />•Agricultural residues- residues from agriculture harvesting or processing<br /><br />• Food waste- from food and drink manufacture, preparation and processing, and<br /><br />post-consumer waste<br /><br />•Industrial waste and co-products- from manufacturing and industrial processes.<br /><br />The question is how are we going to use this biomass as a fuel for boilers? But what is<br /><br />a boiler in the first place? A boiler is defined as “a closed vessel in which water or other<br /><br />liquid is heated, steam or vapor is generated, steam is superheated, or any combination<br /><br />thereof, under pressure or vacuum, for use external to itself, by the direct application of<br /><br />energy from the combustion of fuels, from electricity or nuclear energy.”<br /><br />Let us then go back to the previous question, how are we going to use this biomass<br /><br />as fuel for boilers. Nowadays, the prime sources of energy in the world are oil, coal<br /><br />and natural gas. But these natural sources of energy has their end too, unfortunately<br /><br />it is already anticipated that within the next 40-50 years these sources of energy will<br /><br />deplete. Worst is, it is also expected that from these sources lies consequences due<br /><br />to their emissions such as global warming, acid rain, urban smog. Due to this fact<br /><br />the world is trying to utilize new sources of energy, there are some renewable energy<br /><br />sources that can replace harmful energy sources. The solar, wind, biomass etc are<br /><br />energy sources which are less harmful to the environment but can only be use in a<br /><br />suitable way. Biomass is one of the earliest ever discovered sources of energy but<br /><br />only comes with specific properties. It was then discovered that utilizing biomass in<br /><br />boilers offers many economical, social and environmental benefits such as financial net<br /><br />saving, conservation of fossil fuel resources, job opportunities creation and CO2 and<br /><br />NOx emissions reduction.<br /><br />However, care must also be taken for consideration. Although biomass can be good in<br /><br />some point there are also disadvantages such as: environmental impacts of biomass<br /><br />such as land and water resources, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and deforestation.
