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Text 8. Biomass Energy
Renewable energy offers interesting perspectives for agriculture and forestry in Ukraine. It is broadening the range of available energy sources, creating new market outlets for agricultural producers besides food production. It contributes to national energy security by diversifying energy supply sources. Linked food and energy markets will increase competition and the most efficient producers will benefit most of new markets in future.
Simply defined, biomass is all plant material, or vegetation, either raw or processed, wild or cultivated. Examples of this energy source include:
- fast growing trees and grasses;
- agricultural residues like used vegetable oils, wheat straw, or corn;
- wood waste like paper trash, yard clippings, sawdust, or wood chips;
- methane that is captured from livestock, and municipal waste water treatment.
Essentially, biomass is stored solar energy that man can convert to electricity, fuel, and heat. Through photosynthesis the energy from the sun is stored in the chemical bonds of the plant material. Typically biomass energy comes from three sources: agricultural crop residues, municipal and industrial waste and energy plantations. In addition, crops such as corn, sugar beets, grains, and kelp can be grown specifically for energy generation. Crops that make good energy resources have a high yield of dry material and use minimal land; the crop should also generate more energy than its production consumes. Numerous processes such as cogeneration, gasification, and fermentation, can tap into this energy source to produce energy available for human consumption.
Prior to the industrial revolution, biomass satisfied nearly all of man’s energy demands. Up until the 1860’s, the United States used biomass, in the form of wood, for nearly 91 % of all energy consumption. In 1992 biomass generated $ 1,8 billion in personal and corporate income and employed 66,000 workers. Although presently the majority of humankind’s energy requirements are fulfilled by fossil fuel combustion, 14% of the world still utilizes biomass.
Without a major impact on food prices, the United States has enough land and agricultural networks to sustainably replace half of the nation’s gasoline use or all nuclear energy. The thousands of tons of manure, piles of sawdust, and mounds of agricultural waste all have the potential to generate energy.
Currently, the world population uses only about 7 % of the annual production of biomass. We are only partially utilizing nature’s abundant and renewable resources.
The least costly, most common, and simplest method is direct combustion or burning of the biomass which produces energy for activities such as heating or cooking. Currently, numerous technologies exist that convert organic material to commercial energy. The list below represents only a sample of the many ways in which biomass can be used.
With alcohol fermentation starches are converted to sugar and then to fuel alcohol. This alcohol is then distilled and separated. With yeast, materials such as wheat, barley, potatoes, and sawdust can be converted to alcohol. Currently, ethanol is the product from fermentation that is used in internal combustion engines as alternative fuel.
Decomposing organic waste generates gas as it is anaerobically digested. Approximately 50 percent of this is methane – a major factor of natural gas. People have developed ways to harness this methane and use it for energy. An example of this is Foster Farm in Middlebury, Vermont that uses cow manure to power the entire farm.
The newest method for electricity generation is known as gasification. This method captures 65-70% of the energy present in solid fuels by first converting it to combustible gases. These gases are then burned, like we currently burn natural gas, and create energy. The technologies for this synfuel (synthetic fuel) are still new and therefore not quite ready for commercial production.
Exercise 82. Divide text 8 into logical parts and write a topical sentence for each part.
Exercise 83. Translate the following words and word combinations into Ukrainian.
Convert to electricity, chemical bonds of the plant material, agricultural crop residues, industrial waste, energy generation, numerous processes, energy available for human consumption, the majority of humankind’s energy requirements, fossil fuel combustion, a major impact, replace gasoline use, the simplest and newest method, numerous technologies, internal combustion engine, combustible gases, commercial production.
Exercise 84. Translate the following sentences into English.
1. Використання біомаси як палива не може задовольнити потреби людства в енергії. 2. Спалювання біомаси є найдешевшим і найбільш розповсюдженим методом виробництва енергії. 3. Все більше і більше людей протестують проти використання традиційних видів палива, бо процес виробництва електроенергії супроводжується виділенням двоокису вуглецю, який дуже шкідливий для навколишнього середовища. 4. Метан і етан можуть використовуватися як паливо для автомобілів замість бензину, що зменшить забруднення атмосфери. 5. У світі існує багато різних технологій з виробництва енергії з біомаси. 6. Відновлювана енергетика пропонує цікаві перспективи для сільського та лісового господарства України. 7. Більшість відновлюваної енергетики на сьогодні припадає на гідроенергетику та опалювані котельні та печі, що працюють на біомасі. 8. Скорочення споживання природного газу є однією з найбільш суттєвих проблем для України, яка зараз знаходиться у складній енергетичній ситуації. 9. У багатьох країнах Європи динамічно розвивається виробництво енергії з відновлюваних джерел. 10. Багато деревообробних підприємств замінюють котельні, які працюють на вугіллі або газі, на котли та печі, що використовують відходи власного виробництва. 11. Тільки гідроенергетика та біомаса досягли рівня комерційного застосування; інші технології відновлюваної енергетики ще знаходяться на стадії дослідження та розробки. 12. Низькі ціни на енергоносії не стимулюють людей заощаджувати енергію та використовувати альтернативні джерела енергії. 13. Оскільки рентабельність більшості технологій відновлюваної енергетики залежить від місцевих умов, детальна інформація про наявні джерела є дуже важливою для їх подальшого розвитку.
Exercise 85. Identify by suffixes: a) nouns; b) adjectives; c) adverbs; d) verbal forms among the following words. Translate them.
Simply, agricultural, energy, chemical, material, generate, essentially, electricity, municipal, generation, process, produced, consumption, industrial, minimal, production, generated, fermentation, satisfied, personal, presently, majority, requirement, combustion, utilized, growing, commercial, existing, converted, traditional, processed, cultivated.
Exercise 86. Write the verbs related to the following nouns. Translate them.
Generation, conversion, plantation, production, fermentation, consumption, satisfaction, combustion, population, diversification, gasification.
Exercise 87. Match the beginning (column A) and the end of the sentence (column B).
| 1. Biomass is stored solar energy | a) than its production consumes |
| 2. The common method is direct burning of the biomass | b) that convert organic material to commercial energy |
| 3. Numerous technologies exist | c) that is used in internal combustion engines as alternative fuel |
| 4. Ethanol is the product from fermentation | d) that within 50 years the present sources will be gone |
| 5. Fossil fuels are used so much | e) that man can convert to electricity |
| 6. The crop should generate more energy | f) which produces energy for activities such as heating or cooking |
| 7. Modern, enclosed fireplaces and wood stoves pollute much less | g) which generate harmful emissions |
| 8. Municipal waste often contains toxic metals and plastics | i) than traditional open fireplaces |
Exercise 88. Use the prefixes un-, im-, ir-, in-, dis-, mis- to form the opposite of the following words.
Efficient, capable, experienced, motivated, responsible, organized, manage, tidy, understand, judge, lead, honest.
Exercise 89. Define whether the statements are true or false.
1. Biomass energy comes from different sources. 2. Grain can’t be grown specifically for energy generation. 3. Presently biomass satisfies nearly all of man’s energy demands. 4. The crop should generate less energy than its production consumes. 5. The newest method for electricity generation is gasification. 6. The technologies for synthetic fuel are quite ready for commercial production. 7. Vegetable oils can be used as alternative fuel.
Exercise 90. Answer the following questions.
1. What is biomass? 2. What are sources of biomass energy? 3. What crops are grown specifically for energy generation? 4. How is biomass converted into energy? 5. What is the simplest method of converting biomass into energy? 6. What product can be used in internal combustion engines as an alternative fuel? 7. How is methane generated? 8. What method is the newest for electricity generation? 9. Why do people protest against the use of fossil fuels? 10. Can biomass satisfy all of man’s energy demands presently?
Exercise 91. Fill in the missing words using the words below.
Combustion, waste, convert, requirements, annual, conventional, emission.
1. Biomass is stored solar energy that man can … to electricity. 2. Presently the majority of humankind’s energy … are fulfilled by fossil fuel. 3. Currently, the world population uses only about 7 % of the … production of biomass. 4. The simplest method of biomass conversion is its … or burning. 5. Decomposing organic … generates gas as it is anaerobically digested. 6. The most serious problem is particulate … which must be controlled with special devices. 7. Using biomass-derived methanol and ethanol as vehicle fuels instead of … gasoline could reduce pollution from automobiles.
Exercise 92. Put questions to the underlined words.
1. Crops such as corn, sugar beets, grains and kelp can be grown specifically for energy generation. 2. Prior to the industrial revolution, biomass satisfied nearly all of man’s energy demands. 3. Currently, the world population uses only about 7 % of the annual production of biomass. 4. Numerous technologies exist that convert organic material to commercial energy. 5. New technologies are being developed and smallscale projects are economically efficient.
Exercise 93. Fill in the missing form of adjectives and adverbs. Give your own examples.
Good, …, the best;
high, …, the highest;
…, more, the most;
…, less, the least;
simple, …, the simplest;
new, newer, …;
stable, …, the most stable.
Exercise 94. Write the following sentences in the Past / Future Indefinite, Present / Past / Future Continuous, Present / Past / Future / Perfect tenses. Add appropriate adverbial modifiers.
1. Scientists work hard to improve the technologies for electricity generation. 2. We only partially utilize nature’s abundant and renewable resources.
Exercise 95. Rewrite in Conditional II, III.
| Model: If hydropower developed further in the United States, reasonable compromises would be reached between environmental groups and industry. If hydropower had developed further in the United States, reasonable compromises would have been reached between environmental groups and industry. |
1. If hydropower develops further in the United States, reasonable compromises will be reached between environmental groups and industry. 2. If people use biomass-derived methanol and ethanol as vehicle fuels, some types of pollution from automobiles will be reduced. 3. Soils can be depleted of organic content and nutrients if agricultural or forestry wastes are used for fuel. 4. If people continue consuming fossil fuels, we will run out of mineral resources. 5. Electric appliances will not work if there is no electricity. 6. There are lots of applications for hydrogen as an energy source if people are ready and want to use it.
Exercise 96. Read the following notes and be ready for a conversation with your partners on the topic “Major Benefits of Substituting Biomass for Fossil Fuels”.
- there are countless benefits to biomass use economically, environmentally and nationally;
- rural economic development and stability;
- biomass could replace half of imported oil each year;
- preservation of agricultural land that otherwise would be sold for residential development or industrial use;
- sustainable agricultural techniques for these crops can restore and ensure soil stability and health along with minimizing chemical residues and habitat destruction;
- no net increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide;
- methane is 20 times more potent than CO2. Centering methane from producers such as cows or rice fields and applying it for fuel will significantly reduce the green house gas.
Exercise 97. Memorize the following words and word combinations to text 9.
Substitute (for) – заміняти; використовувати замість
neat fuel – чисте паливо
oxygenate – окисляти, збагачувати киснем
additive – добавка (до пального), присадка
rapeseed – насіння рапсу
soybean oil – соєва олія
grease – мастило, жир
blend – змішувати
contamination – забруднення
mileage – відстань в милях
carbon monoxide – одноокис вуглецю
combust – спалювати
contribute – сприяти
substantially – в основному, значною мірою
petroleum – нафта, газ
buildup – накопичення; підвищення концентрації
gasoline – бензин (ам.)
release – випускати
emission – випускання, емісія
enhance – посилювати, збільшувати
truck – вантажний автомобіль
meet standards – відповідати стандартам
gallon – галон (3,78л)
base – основа
nitrogen – азот
oxide – окис
grist – шрот
particulate – (макро)частка
Exercise 98. Read text 9 and select the key words and expressions for a five minute conversation with your partners on the following topic: “Commercial and Environmental Benefits to Using Renewable Diesel Fuel”.