Assignment 3: Engineers Without

Boarders

Table of Contents
1.

Introduction.......................................................................................................... 3

2.

EA competencies.................................................................................................. 4

3.

Technologies......................................................................................................... 4
3.1

Thermal conversion process..........................................................................5

3.2 Chemical conversion process............................................................................ 5

3.3 Liquid Bio fuels method..................................................................................... 6
4.

Supply and demand............................................................................................. 6

5.

Advanced biological treatment............................................................................. 7

5.1

Process........................................................................................................... 8

5.2 Advanced Biological Treatment-Choices............................................................8

5.3 Composting Processes (Aerobic).......................................................................9
5.4 Financials......................................................................................................... 10
5.5 Materials & lay out.......................................................................................... 10
Tunnels............................................................................................................... 10
Composting Towers............................................................................................ 11
Rotating Drums.................................................................................................. 12
Housed Bays, Piles and Extended-beds..............................................................12
Bio-drying Variations.......................................................................................... 12
6.

Sustainability...................................................................................................... 12
6.1 Social Sustainability........................................................................................ 12
6.2 Economic Sustainability.................................................................................. 13
6.3 Environmental Sustainability...........................................................................13

7.

Contribution and learning................................................................................... 13

EWB Contributions to me................................................................................... 13
References:........................................................................................................... 15

1.Introduction
Biomass is the basic term that relates to the organic waste that can be
used for the conversion methods to produce energy sources such as biogas
and bio-fuels which further goes to the energy supply chain. Examples for
the biomass are the wood waste, agricultural waste and energy corps. Biogas
can be produced in different methods of approach from the organic waste
like chemical processing or a thermal processing. The carbon that is captured
from the biogas is considered as carbon neutral as it is from atmosphere CO 2
with a lesser timescale respectively.
In the renewable energy trends the technologies of Biogas and biomethane

are being the emerging ones when compared to all other and

fortunately that is predicted as the rapidly growing energy source to 2020 for
the future gas supply. The main reason behind this is the affordability and
the availability of the biomass. The challenges biogas face is from the
industries food and electricity for the biomass and so there might be a
chance of incrmentin prices with the increasing demand

2. EA competencies
From the table 3 among all the competencies I found the creative,
innovative and proactive approach to the emerging engineering problems is
the most important way because, engineering is a stream where engineering
professionals need to address unexpected problems in day2 day situation.
For these kinds of situations they should be prepared with a creative and
reasoning attitude which brings a solution to the problems. The way we
applies the creative solution approach with the information we are through
about and the latest technology and data we have or we aware of makes the
difference. All time learning and being updated is the next very important
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thing to get a right and feasible latest solution to all the problems. Withall
this study and knowing I myself rate at 4 out of 5 on the skills or the
knowledge having to work up on with these competencies
The other competency is the professional usage and the management
of the information on the products and the techniques. In engineering the
next very important success factor is the data, data of previous records or
the technologies or the cases solved or the trends to understand forecast the
future estimations. For that engineers should have the access to the
accurate data all the time with the right documentation and tracking of the
data

whenever

required

to

the

professional

purposes.

From

the

understanding I am confident to say that I am standing with the rate of 4 out

of 5 with the sufficient knowledge on the usage and arrangement of data

3. Technologies
There are different kinds of energy sources to produce bio gas like bio
fuels and bio mass. With the increase in the demand and acceptance of the
biogas as the next gen renewable energy source the R&D work on the
innovation of the process is being increased with respective to the existing
technologies in the production. The blend of technological, economic and
regulatory factors influences the growth of the renewable energy from the
biomass and the other causes involved in the process of biogas production.
There are different methods of technology in the production of biogas from
the bio wastes or bio mass
3.1

Thermal conversion process

In the technology of thermal conversion heat is the important

mechanism in the conversion of the masses in to gas or to and energy

source. Combustion is the procedure of getting heat from the introduction of
flammable particles to burn in the attendance of air or oxygen which
produces heat. The produced heat helps in space heating, water heating
which further results in the steam production for the energy generation.
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In case of bio-mass, oxidation is the technique that allows the carbon

and hydrogen which is present in the cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and
other molecules that helps in the formation of carbon dioxide and water. In
the case of solid wastes like wood pellets and other products, these materials
are introduced to the process of combustion in a large scale in heavy firing
plants
This way of Thermochemical gasification method slightly involves
oxidation technique with which the carbon compounds are diffused in to
small particles of CO, H2 and hydrocarbon elements like methane. With the
method of gasification only all the characteristics of the gas are produced
and its parameters like oxidizer and the temperature. If it is the low
temperature gasification (700oc-1000oc) it will be containing more number of
hydrocarbons and with the steam turbine the process of combustion is done
If not and it is a high temperature gasification (1200 oc -1600oc) then
there occurs the production of less hydrocarbons and more particles of
carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Thus the synthetic gas produced out of this
process can be upgraded to bio-methane or bio-diesel

.2 Chemical conversion process

Other than the thermal conversion there is a Biochemical process of
conversion which uses the enzymes of bacteria and other micro-organisms to
diffuse the biomass. And in this chemical conversion there exists the
anaerobic digestion which is a process of converting chemical energy to
energy carrier by using its microorganisms with high efficiency compared to
that of thermochemical conversion. And the result of this process is mixture
of methane and carbon dioxide in exactly equal proportions
This whole process of conversion is done in four steps. And the first
one is hydrolysis where the diffusion of complex substances to most soluble
compounds occurs with the help of enzymes, in such a way that the soluble
compounds can be taken up by bacteria. In the Second step is acidification
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involving the anaerobic bacteria which is considered as acid formers and as a

result it produces organic acids as the intermediate resultant. In the 3 rd step
acetate and hydrogen is formed. At last a group of bacteria which are
referred as methane formers, generates methane form acetate or H2.

.3 Liquid Bio fuels method

To produce liquid bio fuels the process that is under usage is
Fermentation technology. Those produced Liquid biofuels contain the
elements such as plant oil, biodiesel, and bioethanol. Initially, edible oilproducing plants produce the pure plant oil and that oil can be utilized for
diesel utilizers like vehicle engines, generators and other source of power
production. Secondly, biodiesel is produced undergoing through chemical
process which is produced by standardized raw vegetable oil. Various kinds
of feedstock can be utilized for bio

diesel generation such as oil

feedstock, animal fats or waste vegetable oil.

With respective to the biofuel conversion method, there is a huge
difference between the 1st and 2nd generation biofuels generation process.
The first one is in to fuels that are generated with the existing methods like
cold pressing/extraction, esterification, hydrolysis and fermentation, and
chemical synthesis. The later generation bio-fuels are generated with
progressive methods, comprising hydro-treatment, innovative hydrolysis and
fermentation.

4. Supply and demand

A research on the biomass sources has given a result on the potential
for the energy of 50-1,500 electric Joules. The difference in the range is the
difference in the scope with respect to the kind of biomass and the various
other perceptions on the technical, economic and ecological limits to the
supply. In between the technical and sustainable potential there is the
division made. Hall & Rosillo-Calle (1998) predicted and analyzed that the
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potential for sustainable use will be at 270 EJ/yr. As per to IEA study, By 2050
the sustainable potential ranges between 200 and 500 EJ/yr.

Figure: Global Biomass demand and supply

5. Advanced biological treatment

Advanced biological treatment (ABT) is the process conversion of
biodegradable solid waste. ABT has also utilization in the fields like irrigation
and also the sewage clearance purpose along with the advantage of treating
the biodegradable fraction physically separated from diversified, residual
particles at Mechanical Biological treatment.

5.1

Process

The basic purpose of the ABT technologies is to control and improvise the
natural biological processes and the real advantage of the technology is it
can perform the action of processing both the source-segregated particles
and also the mechanically segregated materials from the mixed or club of
waste gathered into a biodegradable and organically high fraction.
The initial one which is Source segregated gathering gives a cleaner
organic stream, but the stuff is on its own to gather the sufficient organic
material to achieve the required level of Biodegradable Municipal Waste
(BMW). Thus in case of the long run then the additional BMW will be required
with the process of MBT or thermal treatment methods

Diversion of biodegradable MSW going to landfill if using ABT within an MBT

by:
Before landfilling the dry ass of BMR should be reduced
The biodegradability of BMW also need to be reduced
The compost output need to stabilized to make the potential use on
land
To get a rich calorific organic fraction as the fuel out of the bio mass
the materials need to be dried thoroughly

5.2 Advanced Biological Treatment-Choices

Advanced Biological Treatment is alternatively treated as the utilization of
the new technologies to purify the biodegradable waste with the highly
controlled biological methods. Solid wastes like food and other green wastes
are most efficient input materials for these kinds of technologies. Other kind
of materials like card, paper and wood kind of related wastes can be

processed even though they take much time to degrade and basing on that
the inputs are to be limited to optimize the treatment
All this kind of waste treatment processes are being done by the living
microbes which helps in decomposition of the wastes as they use these
materials as food for proliferation and their growth. These microbes being
specialized enzymes even digest the complex constituents like cellulose and
other proteins and fats and diffuse them to simple nutrients which they
absorb. When these microbes digest the waste and grow a significant
proportion is converted to heat, carbon gases and water therefore it results
in reduction og the mass during the biological treatment
There are two different kinds of biological processes for the treatment of biodegradable waste as the microbes live in two different conditions and the
processes are
Aerobic

in the presence of oxygen; and

1 Anaerobic in the absence of oxygen.

5.3 Composting Processes (Aerobic)

Aerobic process is the method of composting where the biodegradable
materials are decomposed in to carbon dioxide, water and heat as the
microbials exists andtheir respiration results all the above and all this
process occurs in the presence of oxygen by remaining the stabilized
residual solid materials composting. If the source segregated biodegradable
is treated as the air is present the oxygen is regularly supplies through the
mechanical turning.

Figure: Composting Process

Aerobic method of composting is the method whose processed

materials are usually dry and mostly utilized for the high solid material
contents. These materials possess good porous structure so that they can
allow the air to pass through them. And it mandatory that the balance should
be in right form between carbon and nitrogen
In this method it requires a large amount of oxygen so that microbes
respire and produce great amount of heat and mostly associated with the
temperatures of around 60-70oc. if the temperatures are very high then it
helps in terminating the pathogenic organisms. A large amount of
biologically produced heat is created as microbes respire, and are associated
with high processing temperatures of 60-70C. High temperature has the
advantage of killing the potentially pathogenic organisms in the bio mass
and dries the material

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5.4 Financials
A survey and study by a research institute states that the practical, optimum capacity is
50,000tpa with the usage of transport and process cost model. The advanced technology
will need large initial expenditure than the windrow composting model. Initial capital costs
are associated with the buildings, slabs, monitoring equipment, process vessels and other
investment involved in the providing of facilities and energy recovery infrastructure
Biological process

Gate Fee (/t)

Windrow composting

25 (15-53)

In-Vessel Composting

44 (28-60)

Anaerobic Digestion

41 (35-60)

Fees involved for Advances Biological Treatment Facilities

5.5 Materials & lay out

Tunnels

Tunnels used in the composting are the big rectangular vessels including
aeration methods. They are the physical bodies of steel and concrete. These
tunnels can be either single or double ended for the purpose of both loading
and unloading and they are fixed with the open-able roofs for the transfer
load
These tunnels are involved in the processing materials in batches though few
methods operate as a flow but not batch where the equipment like moving
floors, rotating shafts and augers are used for that purpose
Composting Towers

The processing of the material in the composting towers is done continuously

after its fed on the top of the sealed tower. It can either be a single
compartment with multiple vessels or several compartments in a single large
vessel

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The relation between the movements of the materials is controlled by the

removal of the finished material from the bottom of the vessel. In a single
compartment, the material is removed from the bottom of the vessel once it
reaches the processing time.

Rotating Drums
Generally the material is fed in the rotating drum and it mixed and aerated
as It passes along the drum. It contains baffles and tines in the drum which
help the material to move along the drum. It is used to split refuse bags,
decrease waste materials and dry waste and can be used for pre-treatment
alteration to shred the waste.

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Housed Bays, Piles and Extended-beds

There exists a large building for processing all the waste material is to fed
in to the buildings Organic material is fed into a large enclosed building for
processing.
To turn the material in the drums with tines, augers and elevated-face
conveyors it needs a specialist turning machines. And the turning process is
operated in batch process or can be transferred along the bay

Bio-drying Variations
The drying part in the whole system is considered as the pre-treatment
process where all the composting technologies are used to dry the waste and
it is also termed as a bio-drying. The whole concept is to get the air through
the biological waste to dry it quickly. As known the dry waste is more
convenient in mechanical separation and in incrementing the calorific value
of

the

fuel.

Therefore

the

mass

of

waste

is

reduced

its

content

biodegradable.

6. Sustainability
6.1 Social Sustainability
The social sustainability is also achieved because it improves the health conditions of an entire
population, it improves their ability to breathe cleaner air, and it also provided an economic upliftment because the consumption of bio gas with the new cooking stove allowing them savings
and temporary employment in the region managing the plant and manufacturing the stoves

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6.2 Economic Sustainability

Scope for employment will arise when the bio gas plant will be installed and
commissioned in order to create a continuous supply of bio gas for the region and the need to
repair the hydroelectric generator will not be a priority but it will be kept as a backup generator
in case of any issues with the supply of bio gas fuel. Scope of employment will also arise when
the manufacture the fuels efficient stoves and to sell them in the markets by educating the
regions.(Lackner,2012)

6.3 Environmental Sustainability

The global warming will reduce, the pollution in the air will be less and there will be less
carbon emissions causing a polluted blanket in many parts of the atmosphere because of open
cooking flames. With a cleaner environment it will be easier to sustain the natural resources and
provide the time essential for the natural resources to replenish it (Praveen, 2014)

7. Contribution and learning

From the whole study on the biogas production or the bio-mass conversion to the
valuable or the predominant energy sources with respect to the eco-friendly models it was a great
learning to understand the scope of the industry globally. The major part being the
implementation of the technology to the existing methods which gives a more efficient way of
producing output through its sustainability socially, environmentally and economically. The
future of the technology Advanced biological treatment (ABT) is the latest technology with
which the diffusion of complex compounds also got changed to small compounds which helps in
the biomass conversion to energy all the equipment used like the tunnels, heavy building,
rotating drums are the example for the implementation of the technology modernly to improve
the efficiency and also to reduce the effort. The process of conversion both the ways in present of
oxygen and also in the absence of oxygen showed a broad way of getting results.
EWB Contributions to me

With all these understandings on the system helped me to know and realize the importance of the
energy generation through bio-mass to the possible extent
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 Got to know the contribution of emerging engineer technologies to the future in creation of
energy with all the wastes going vain in different parts of the world
Understood that because of the less awareness on the process and latest techniques, these are not
being implemented in many regions of the planet. The responsibility on individuals to improve
awareness on this is very appreciable and it takes a lot of contribution to the future generations
with the engineering savvy. I takes the responsibility too

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References:
MNN (2016) Bio Gas Mother Nature Network. Retrieved on May 26th 2016
Floris van Foreest (2012) Perspectives for Biogas in Europe Retrieved on May 26th
2016
Department for food, environment and rural affairs (2013) Advanced Biological Treatment of
Municipal Solid Waste Retrieved on May 26th 2016
Peter stuart Advantages And Disadvantages Of Anaerobic Digestion As A Renewable Energy

Source Retrieved on May 26th 2016

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