Biomass to Renewable Energy Processes

Fossil fuel is currently the predominant energy source around the world. However, the reserves of fossil fuel are limited and will be depleted in the near future at its current consumption rate. Moreover, burning fossil fuels causes environmental concerns such as global warming. Energy production from biomass such as crop, herbaceous, woody, and waste materials has an obvious advantage compared with fossil fuel-based energy production. The former is renewable and environmentally friendly, which is critical for a sustainable global development.

This textbook will introduce fundamental principles and practical applications of biomass-to-renewable energy processes, including biological and thermochemical processes. Chemical properties of a variety of biomass will be presented in the book. Biological processes include anaerobic digestion of waste materials for biogas and hydrogen production, bioethanol and biobutanol production from starch and cellulose, and biodiesel production from plant oils. Pretreatment technologies, enzymatic reactions, fermentation, and microbiological metabolisms and pathways will be discussed. Thermal processes include gasification and pyrolysis of agricultural residues and woody biomass. The book will also cover the engineering principles of biomass gasification and pyrolysis, and potential end-products.