Biomass-based systems
Author(s)
Date Issued
2022
Type
bookPart
Start Page
137
End Page
192
Abstract
Biomass-based polygeneration systems combine the advantages of using renewable feedstocks and producing simultaneous energy, biofuels, and bioproducts; performing the biorefinery; and circular economy concepts. Among renewable sources, biomass is carbon neutral and largely available as a coproduct from the agricultural, forestry, and agroindustrial sectors; from dedicated terrestrial crops and algae; and from organic municipal wastes. In this work, the authors studied the categories of the biomass feedstock for polygeneration systems and the main chemical–physical characteristics; then, they investigated the existing thermochemical and biochemical pathways, from biomass pretreatments to the final energy product step, in terms of efficiency, mass and energy flows, and chain schemes. Finally, the different outputs and the integration between different outputs were analyzed in terms of biomass input, available conversion technologies, and biorefinery efficiency.