Hurumanu - Biomass

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Renewable Energy film

Biomass

Aim: To compare the amount of gas that is produced from different types of biomass.

Material:

  Bottles (x3)

  Ballons (x3)

  Permanent Marker 

  Disposable Gloves

  Cup

  Fresh horse or cow manure

 Mashed Bananas

 Funnel

Water

Vegetable peelings

Steps:

  Label all 3 bottles

1. Horse or cow manure

2.Manure and Vegetable peelings

3. Manure and mashed bananas   

       

    2. Place 1c manure

1c manure + 1c vegetable peelings 

1c manure + 1c mashed bananas 

    3. Fill the bottle with water

    4. Place a balloon on the top.

    

   

A picture of three bottles with balloons on top, containing cow manure with vegetable peelings or mashed banana.

Energy science project

Investigation.

Research the following Biomass fuels. You will need to:

Write a definition of fuel.

Write 8 sentences about fuel. 

How is it made? 

Where is it made? 

What is it made with? 

What countries use it? 

What uses will it have in the future?  

Place 1 image of the fuel.

Biomass Fuel types.

Name Agricultural crops and wood fuels.

Definition: Agricultural crops such as miscanthus and straw from cereal crops can be used as a fuel for production of heat. Herbaceous materials have a different composition from wood and its combustion must be handled differently from the wood.

Research:

How is it made?  Wood energy is the use of wood fuel to produce heat or electricity. It comes in several numbers of forms, including firewood, shavings, sawdust, wood chips, agricultural crops, and bark.

Where is it made? Wood biomass is the main source of wood energy in New Zealand and it comes in a number of forms.

Name Animal waste.

Methane Gas

Definition:

methane. A colorless, odorless, flammable gas that is the simplest hydrocarbon. It is the major constituent of natural gas and is released during the decomposition of plant or other organic compounds, as in marshes and coal mines. Methane is the first member of the alkane series.

Research:

How is Methane Made? 

Methane is produced at shallow levels (low pressure) by anaerobic decay of organic matter and reworked methane from deep under the Earth's surface. ... Methane is generally transported in bulk by pipeline in its natural gas form, or LNG carriers in its liquefied form; few countries transport it by truck.

Where is Methane Gas made?

Methane that is produced and released into the atmosphere is taken up by methane sinks, which include soil and the process of methane oxidation in the troposphere (the lowest atmospheric region). Most methane produced naturally is offset by its uptake into natural sinks.

Image:

Name: Biogas

Definition: Biogas is the mixture of gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste. Biogas is a renewable energy source

Research:

How is it made? Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste, plant material, sewage, green waste or food waste. ...

Where is biogas made?

It occurs naturally in compost heaps, as swamp gas, and as a result of enteric fermentation in cattle and other ruminants

Name: Biofuels

Definition: A fuel derived immediately from living matter.

Research:

How is Biofuels made?

Biofuels are designed to replace gasoline, diesel fuel and coal, which are called “fossil fuels” because they are made from animals and plants that died millions of years ago. Biofuels are made mostly from plants that have just been harvested. There are three main types of biofuel. Ethanol, biodiesel, and biojet fuel.

Where is Biofuels made?

Ethanol fuel is the most common biofuel worldwide, particularly in Brazil. Alcohol fuels are produced by fermentation of sugars derived from wheat, corn, sugar beets, sugar cane, molasses and any sugar or starch from which alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, can be made (such as potato and fruit waste, etc.).