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Biomass, how the use of biomass has changed over time (evolution) - Coggle…

- - - - Created "tension" in making the choice between food or fuel
      - as they're all food sources, therefore not feasible and adds to competition. e.g. corn:
        
        ethanol, export, animal feed, food & seed, sweeteners
      - require bigger land space for increasing demand
        
        extremely detrimental to ecosystems
        
        ineffective land use, even adds to the problem
      - expensive - no mature technology
  - - - no competition for food
        
        utilizes agriculture waste & non-food biomass
      - more effective use of land
        
        other parts of the plants are channeled into creating biofuel
      - cuts down cost of production
    - - lignocellulosic biomass is difficult to digest, high number of processing steps to break it down
      - not every species can be converted into ethanol
      - complex, extensive and expensive process
    - - sustainable agricultural technique of cultivation to produce biomasses
      - looking for:
        
        fast growing species that have high dry mass
        
        accumulation of biomass that is quick
        
        e.g. poplar, willow, miscanthus
        (2-3 years of harvest cycle)
        
        some plants that can grow fast just
        have high H2O content (not ideal)
      - harvest near the base of the trunk and let them regrow
      - not uprooting the plant
      - repeat this for many cycles until the plant is unable to grow further
      - plants take longer to develop reproductive parts, therefore this method takes less time
      - environmentally friendly, decreases fertilizer/chemical
        use, utilizes all parts of produced biomass
  - - - microorganisms than can multiply very quickly e.g. cyanobacteria/algae
      - biomass yield is faster - shorter life cycle
    - - oil-producing algae cultured, oil harvested to produce biodiesel
      - move away from using plants
- - - - sugar/protein -> acetic acid
      - by acetogenic bacteria
      - in aerobic environment
    - - acetic acid -> methane
      - by methanogenic bacteria
      - anaerobically
    - - carbohydrates -> simple sugars (glucose)
      - by aerobic bacteria
      - breaking down complex molecules intro simpler forms
  - - - Biodegradable material decay and use up oxygen
        
        bottom layer bacteria use up O2 in degrading / hydrolysis / acetogenesis
      - Creates an anaerobic condition for methanogenesis and the production of methane
      - methane collected by wells, then burned to generate heat, then electricity