Bioenergy
Objectives
Acquisition of knowlegde, ability and expertise in the following topics:
1. Significance of the bioenergy in a global energy market.
2. Characteristics of biomass and bio-wastes.
3. Thermal and thermo-chemical conversion processes of biomass and bio-wastes in energy and energy carriers.
4. Biogas and biohydrogen production processes from biomass and bio-wastes.
5. Microalgae in a biorefinery perspective.
6. Environmental and social sustainability.
General characterization
Code
8854
Credits
6.0
Responsible teacher
Maria Margarida Boavida Pontes Gonçalves, Nuno Carlos Lapa dos Santos Nunes
Hours
Weekly - 4
Total - 56
Teaching language
Português
Prerequisites
Non-required request.
Bibliography
Hasenauer, H. (2005) Sustainable Forest Management. Growth Models for Europe, Hasenauer, H. (Ed.), Springer-Verlag (Publs.), 398 pp (ISBN 978-3540260981)
Sorensen, Bent (2007) Renewable Energy Conversion, Transmission, and Storage, Academic Press (Ed.), 334 pp, (ISBN 978-0123742629)
Naim H. Afgan and Maria da Graça Carvalho (2000) Sustainable Assessment Method for Energy Systems:indicators, criteria and decision making procedure. Kluwer Academic Publishers (Eds.), 192 pp, (ISBN 0792378768)
Bridgwater A. V. (2008) Advances in Thermochemical Biomass Conversion, Vol. I, Bridgwater A. V. (Ed.), Springer (Publs.), 1770 pp (ISBN 0751401714)
J. F. Santos Oliveira (2005) Gestão Ambiental. Lidel - Edições Técnicas Lda (Ed.), (ISBN 972-757-328-2), 344 pp.
El Bassam, N. (2010) Handbook of Bioenergy Crops - A complete reference to species, development and applications. London, United Kingdom: Earthscan, Ltd., 516 pp.
Teaching method
Theorico-practical classes in classrooms with oral communication of the teaching programme and resolution of problems. Teaching activity supprted by a webpage in Moodle@FCT platform where all the teaching materials are available (slides of classes; solved problems; additional problems; tests). Also, group works are done in order to promote the autonomous team work.
Evaluation method
Three group works are performed during the semester, each one with a relative weight of 20% in the final score. One final individual test is done with a relative weight of 40% in the final score.
Subject matter
1. Significance of the bioenergy in a global energy market. Biomass definitions. Bioenergy definitions. Political and legislative instruments. Strategic objectives. Sustainability, security, competitiveness and infrastructures.
2. Characteristics of biomass from energetic crops, forestry, and liquid and solid bio-wastes. Mass; Volume; Density; Proximate analysis; Mineral content; Elemental analysis; HHV and LHV; Ashes and their fusibility; COD; Sólids.
3. Thermal and thermo-chemical conversion processes of biomass and bio-wastes in energy and energy carriers. Combustion. Gasification. Pyrolysis. Main technologies. Emissions and their treatment.
4. Biogas and biohydrogen production processes from biomass and bio-wastes. Anaerobic digestion. Biogas and its properties. Biogas valorisation. The digestate and its valorisation. The dark fermentation for biohydrogen production. Biohydrogen valorisation.
5. Microalgae in a biorefinery perspective. Microalgae cultivation: costs and profits. Valorisation routes of microalgae biomass and their products under a biorefinery perspective. Biodiesel and bioethanol production. Valorisation of byproducts.
6. Environmental and social sustainability. Logistic for the supply of biomass and bio-wastes to conversion plants. The environmental and social advantages and disadvantages of bioenergy supply chains.