Environmental Impacts of Alternative & Future Energy

Sources - Overview

2008 AWMA Southern Section Annual Meeting & Tech. Conf. 05 AUG – 08 AUG 2008

R. Mark BrickaMississippi State University

Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering

Current Energy Use

• Electricity Generation – Coal & Natural Gas Most Used

• Transportation – Essentially all Petrochemical

• Heat – Coal / Oil / NG / Electricity– Uses

• Home/Industrial Space Heat

• CPI / Industrial Usage

Natura l G a s2 4%

C oa l2 3%

P etro leum3 9%

Nuc le a r E le c tric7 %

S o la r 1%

B io mas s 3 8%

W ind <0 .5%

Hydro e le c tric 5 5%

G e o the rma l 5 %

R enew a bleE ne rgy

8 %

Totals may not equal sum of components due to independent rounding.

All Energy Sources(94.2 Quadrillion Btu)

Renewable Energy Sources(7.1 Quadrillion Btu)

So urc e : EIA’s Re ne wa b le Ene rg y Annua l 1998

The Role of Renewable Energy Consumption in the Nation’s Energy Supply, 2007 Source: EIA’s Renewable Energy Annual Report May 2008

Energy Sources

What is Alternative Energy

• Alternative energy a transpiration fuel, electrical power or thermal energy derived from a renewable (non-petrochemical) source.

Types of Alternative Energy

• Nuclear – Thermal/Electrical

• Hydropower – Electrical/Mechanical

• Tidal Power – Electrical/Mechanical

• Geothermal – Thermal/Electrical

• Fuel Cells– Electrical

• Solar – Heat/Electrical

• Wind Energy – Electrical

• Biogas Energy – Thermal/Electrical

• Biomass Energy – Thermal/Electrical

Solar

• Heat– Passive– Active

• Electricity– Photovoltaic Cells

Wind Energy

• Turbines – Inefficient– Land Usage

Fuel Cells

• Convert chemical energy directly into electricity and heat, rather than oxidize fuel

• Fuel catalytically reacted – typically H2

Biomass – the Low Hanging Fruit

•Energy Crops•Agricultural and Forestry Waste•Industrial and Consumer Waste•Manures

Biogas Energy

• Combustion Process– Landfills– Digesters

• Cow /Pig / Poultry

• Human

Bio Energy/ Bio Fuels

• Fuels– Methane– Ethanol– Methanol– Bio Diesel– Syn Gas– Bio Oil

Thermal Conversion of Biomass to Energy

Combustion

Pyrolysis

Gasification

Heat

Bio-Oil

Producer Gas

Turbines

Boilers

Engines

Biological Process

Heat

Electricity

Chemicals Fuels

Syn Gas / Bio Oil

• Combustion• Excess air• H2O & CO2

• Gasification• Less than stoichiometric air • H2, CO, CO2 & H2O

• Pyrolysis• Absence of Air

Gasifier

MSU Gasification

FERCO GASIFIER- BURLINGTON, VT

Battelle Columbus Gasifier200 TPD

Pouring Bio-Oil

Bio - Oil

Pyrolysis Unit

Natchez Trace Greenhouses

Environmental Impacts of Alternative & Future Energy

Sources - Overview

2008 AWMA Southern Section Annual Meeting & Tech. Conf. 05 AUG – 08 AUG 2008

R. Mark BrickaMississippi State University

Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering