Using Biomass Power for Our Electric Needs

By:Rick Solare

Electricity is a fundamental pillar to any modern society. Unfortunately, we need fuel to create electricity. This brings us to the subject of biomass as a new source of power.

Using Biomass Power for Our Electric Needs

Biomass is a term used to describe natural, biological materials that can be used as fuel to produce energy. Biomass is a broad term that includes many different types of fuels, from garbage to landfill gas to ethanol. The electricity biomass produces can be used to power many different things from industries to homes, and once properly researched and put into use, biomass will definitely cut down on the world's use of fossil fuels and other harmful sources of energy.

The most common types of biomass can be grouped into one of three categories. Wood (and related) products are things like lawn clippings, wood chips, leftover wood scraps from lumber production, dead trees and leaves. Garbage products are items within garbage that people generate that can be used to burn as fuel, or landfill gases, which are produced when garbage rots (methane). Ethanol and biodiesel are both fossil fuel replacements made from either corn or other crops (ethanol) or vegetable oil and animal fat (biodiesel). All of these can result in biomass fuel to produce electricity.

The landfill gas, also known as biogas or methane, is often collected by landfill owners or farmers to be used as fuel. The burning of this fuel can either power a generator for electricity or be used to heat property. The vegetation or wood related products can be pressed into pellets, and then used as fuel for heat and electricity generation. Ethanol and biodiesel are of even more interest in the world climate these days, as they are both used to power cars and other vehicles. Ethanol and biodiesel are much cleaner burning than fossil fuels, and less expensive to produce since they come from waste which is easy to find in our modern world. Both types of fuel are also biodegradable, making them safer for the environment. While neither fuel can be used in all types of cars at present, car manufacturers are working to make more vehicles that will run on these alternative fuels. Any of these approaches can be used as electricity biomass platforms.

While the idea of using electricity biomass as a power platform may seem far-fetched at present, the resources are already in place to use biomass as fuel. What needs to be done right now is more research on how to use these biomass fuels efficiently, and without the stigma of “burning garbage”. Other fuels at present are much more user-friendly and easy to store, as they are concentrated and in familiar formats.

Once we learn to concentrate biomass and make it easily usable, it will be a great alternative to any of the other energy sources available today with the possible exception of nano-solar technology. Electricity biomass as an energy platform is definite a concept coming into its own.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: biomass, electric, electricity, fuel, fuels, fossil fuels, renewable, alternative, energy, power

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Rick Chapo is with SolarCompanies.com - information on biomass energy.

Top Science Articles
1). Chandrayan I By : dasan It was on July 20, 1969 that "Eagle", the lunar module landed on the moon and American Astronaut Neil Armstrong took "that one small step" paving way for "a giant leap for mankind" . In 2007-08, India will launch Chandrayan I, which will be closely followed by China's CHANGE-I. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is spear-heading all the activities in the field.
2). Looking To The Past Of Geothermal Energy By : Rick Solare Geothermal energy is often viewed as a relatively new form of alternative energy. In truth, the use of geothermal energy stretches far back into the past. Looking To The Past Of Geothermal Energy Geothermal energy is literally, “earth heat”. This type of energy's name comes from two Greek words: “geo” meaning earth, and “therme”, which means heat.
3). Alternative Fuel Source - An Urgent Need For One By : Ernest R. Peterson Using alternative fuel sources is not just a matter of environmental responsibility. It is not just about assuaging your conscience. It is good sense, and sound planning. Although most of us are in denial, the fossil fuels which form the backbone of our world economy are dwindling quite rapidly, even as we go about our daily business in our cars. Although few Americans use an alternative fuel source to commute, those who do are soon going to be at an advantage.
4). The Wages of Science By : Sam Vaknin In the United States, Congress approved, In February 2003, increases in the 2003 budgets of both the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. America is not alone in - vainly - trying to compensate for imploding capital markets and risk-averse financiers. In 1999, chancellor Gordon Brown inaugurated a $1.6 billion program of "upgrading British science" and commercializing its products.
5). Many Uses of Metal Detectors By : James Hunt Have you ever lost something at the beach or at a park and wondered for weeks what happened to it? Chances are that someone was walking with the ingenious invention...
6). How the Meter Came To Be By : James Monahan The meter follows a timeline dating back to the eighteenth century, when two approaches to the definition of the standard unit of length were broached.
7). How to Make a Thermometer By : James Hunt A thermometer is an instrument that measures the temperature. Depending on what country you live in, temperature is measured either in a scale called Fahrenheit or Celsius...
8). The Fossil Record And Creation Science By : Greg Neyman Young earth creationists commonly point to the fossil record in order to support their position. In one instance, the article "The Fossil Record: Becoming More Random All the Time" by John Woodmorappe, has some very good points to it (Footnote 1). Read it if you like, (its a long one), but you don't have to much farther than the abstract to see problems.
9). Weird Science – The Inner Workings Of The National Science Foundation By : Dave Klein The National Science Foundation is an independent government agency in the United States. The National Science Foundation is responsible for providing support to basic science research, which is primarily accomplished through research funding. The National Science Foundation mostly provides research funding in the form of grants. These grants are most often given in the form of individual grants to graduate students and professors.
10). Understanding the Scientific Method By : Professor Know Understanding the scientific method and how to follow it is critical to building a good reputation in the technical community. In regards to science fairs, as a student progresses in grade levels the judges are going to demand more and more focus on using the scientific method. Here is my seven step description of the scientific method. 1. Define the question 2.

New Science Articles
1). The Process of Sleep in Humans By : Alex Rider This article briefly looks at the physiological and some of the chemical processes and changes associated with sleep.
2). Amazing New Hubble Pics By : Anne Noonan New Hubble pics - how exciting! The latest of the new Hubble pics is of a black hole, which they've captioned as being in need of a home. To get these new Hubble pics a team of astronomers, all from Europe, combined the power of the Hubble Space Telescope with that of the VLT (Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Cerro Paranal.
3). How To Get The Most From Direct TV By : dave4 More and more, savvy consumers are choosing Direct TV over traditional cable. In fact, Direct TV is now the leading cable television provider in the United States and the largest satellite TV company in the entire world. Why are so many people choosing Direct TV over regular cable television For starters, Direct TV offers access to hundreds of channels, bringing a plethora of programming into private homes, apartments, condominiums, commercial properties, airports, bars, and restaurants, as well as numerous other locations.
4). Direct TV Total Choice Premier By : dave4 The Total Choice Premier Channel Package from DIRECTV includes practically every channel offered in the United States for a great price. You get all the sports channels, movie channels, news channels, shopping channels and tons of specialty and informational programming like “The Learning Channel” and “The Food Network.” You even get your local channels so you can see local news and local programming.
5). Is Dish TV a Valuable Alternative By : dave4 Are features offered by Dish TV making its Satellite TV service a valuable alternative? With interactive tools, guides, and myriad options made available to every subscriber, the offerings made by Dish TV cannot be surpassed. Moreover, the affordability of Dish TV’s services seems almost criminal when one considers all of the incredible options made available to them with Dish TV’s amazing features! In fact, it is no surprise that Dish TV has been deemed the number one Satellite TV company in terms of customer service by J.
6). What Is A Fossil? By : Claudia Mann What is a fossil? While this is a simple question, the answer can be simple or a bit more complicated. The short and sweet answer to that question is “A fossil is the remains or evidence of any creature or plant that lived on the earth in a past geologic age.” But there are so many KINDS of fossils. A more important question for a curious student is “What kinds of fossils are there?” The answer to that question will take a bit more exploration.
7). Is Solar Power The Immediate Answer To Our Energy Woes ? By : L.Beauley We are looking for an across-the-board solution for our present exorbitant consumption of gasoline and it seems as though there is none, at least for the present. We are looking at Ethanol additive to our present gasoline formulas, but this will only give us better miles per gallon and of course, much cleaner bi-products with its use. Ethanol becomes a temporary fix.
8). The Energy Waste Dilemma By : L.Beauley Date: 04-23-06 With the price of gasoline on the upswing(again, April 20, 06), there seems to be little sign that we Americans are at least trying to conserve fuel, though there are pockets of concerned groups that are making their voice heard, mainly against Oil Company price gouging. At the same time the automotive advertising media seems to be pushing the higher gas consumption Suv's and cars.
9). Energy Conservation By : L.Beauley The Role We Can Each Play ========================= We can all play a part in lessening our reliance on fossil fuels. A- Use low-energy lamps such as CFL replacements for as many incandescent lightbulbs as possible in our home or apartment. B- Turn off all lamps in areas where they are not needed. C- Turn down water heater temperature to between 120-125 degrees.
10). Talk About "Hidden" Costs...Technically Speaking By : L.Beauley 7:47 PM 4/24/2006 Author: Lucien Beauley Lighting Facts...I Wanna Know ! Each one of us, at one time or another has either driven or been a passenger in an automobile and experienced our traffic control lighting system. Originally unique, but now part of a global system. Situated at every fully functional traffic light intersection is at least one "Red" light which is timed to turn on and off regularly to "Stop" traffic.