Vocabulary
The US uses very little MSW as one of their types of biomass. What does MSW stand for?
Muncipal Solid Waste
Which of these following countries is most likely to use muncipal solid waste? USA, Libya, Canada, or Colombia.
Libya (Places where wood is scarce)
What is one disadvantage of using solid biomass for energy?
Deforestation, erosion, indoor/outdoor pollution, and possible net increase in greenhouse gas emissions
Brazil and China
Describe what direct combustion is.
Direct combustion is a thermochemical technique in which the biomass is burned in open air or in the presence of excess air.
What is a fuel mainly used for transportation that can be produced from left-over food products like vegetable oils and animal fats?
Biodiesel
Identify one advantage and one disadvantage of using corn for ethanol.
Advantages: Decreases air pollution and greenhouse gases, Decreases dependence on foreign oil, Theoretically carbon neutral
Disadvantages: Land use competition, Increased air pollution and green house gasses (In practice), Not carbon neutral (In practice)
What two kinds of solid biomass are mainly used in the developing world?
Wood and solid waste
Modern carbon and fossilized carbon help to show how biomass is ____.
Relatively carbon neutral
This type of biomass fuel is produced by burning wood or other organic materials and is often used for cooking or heating in many parts of the world.
Charcoal
Why does using liquid biofuels result in lower gas mileage?
Because ethanol contains less energy than gasoline, the use of ethanol blends results in lower vehicle fuel efficiency relative to gasoline that does not contain ethanol.
Approximately what percent of ethanol in the United States comes from corn or corn by-products (Within 5%)?
90%
What is the name of a vehicle that uses both ethanol and gasoline as a fuel.
Flex-fuel vehicles
Describe the main difference between direct combustion and burning wood for coal.
Burning wood for charcoal is without he presence of oxygen or air while direct combustion is.
What is one possible disadvantage of using microalgae as a source of biodiesel.
High production costs, low lipid productivity, and difficulties in large-scale cultivation and harvesting
What is the most common end use of biomass and what is the approximate percentage usage of it (within 10%)?
Industrial and around 50%