Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals [Hardcover]

Donald L. Klass (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0124109500 | ISBN-13: 978-0124109506 | Publication Date: July 9, 1998 | Edition: 1

Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals serves as a comprehensive introduction to the subject for the student and educator, and is useful for researchers who are interested in the technical details of biomass energy production. The coverage and discussion are multidisciplinary, reflecting the many scientific and engineering disciplines involved. The book will appeal to a broad range of energy professionals and specialists, farmers and foresters who are searching for methods of selecting, growing, and converting energy crops, entrepreneurs who are commercializing biomass energy projects, and those involved in designing solid and liquid waste disposal-energy recovery systems.

Key Features
* Presents a graduated treatment from basic principles to the details of specific technologies
* Includes a critical analysis of many biomass energy research and commercialization activities
* Proposes several new technical approaches to improve efficiencies, net energy production, and economics
* Reviews failed projects, as well as successes, and methods for overcoming barriers to commercialization
* Written by a leader in the field with 40 years of educational, research, and commercialization experience

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is extremely thorough, detailed, and well documented. Topics are explained in great detail. The book stands as one of the best published on the subject in recent times. It can be used by the professional or student alike, since the in-depth treatment of principles and practices allow information retrieval at different levels of complexity. It is a good techincal reference and will serve as an important textbook for many years."
--JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, March-April 2000
"This book provides an excellent and worthwhile text for anyone with an interest in practical ways to secure our future energy supplies."
--BIOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE
"This book will be useful to a wide range of teachers and lecturers. Those working in schools and colleges will find it a treasure store of useful information to enliven their teaching, especially as there are very useful figures and tables. Those working at a higher level will appreciate the rigorous nature of the work along with the extensive list of references."
--CHEMISTRY IN BRITAIN, May 1999.
"Klass offers a very thotough analysis of the need for biomass fuels, their production and use. It is a superb resource with an impressive review of the potential of many crops and resources to serve energy needs....a resource to be widely used and appreciated. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals; two-year technical program students."
--CHOICE, 1999.
"A good introductory volume for those requiring information on commercialising biomass energy products and on solid and liquid waste disposal energy recovery systems."
--WASTE PLANNING, A MINERAL PLANNING PUBLICATION, March 1999.

From the Back Cover

The oil shocks of the 1970s and 1980s caused remarkable changes in the national energy policies of most industrialized nations, including the start of intensive research programs to develop biomass energy resources. Biomass is virtually the only indigenous, renewable, widely distributed natural resource capable of supplying heat, steam, and electric power, as well as solid, liquid, and gaseous organic fuels and commodity chemicals that are manufactured from fossil fuels. Biomass energy is expected to play a major role in the energy economies and security of many nations in the 21st century as we approach the end of the fossil fuel era. This book addresses the history of biomass energy research, its development, deployment efforts, the environmental impact of biomass energy usage, its potential for replacing fossil fuels, many commercial systems already in place, and conventional and advanced biomass energy technologies.

Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals serves as a comprehensive introduction to the subject for the student and the educator and is useful for researchers who are interested in the technical details of biomass energy production. The coverage and discussion are multidisciplinary, reflecting the many scientific and engineering disciplines involved. The book will appeal to a broad range of energy professionals and specialists, farmers and foresters who are searching for methods of selecting, growing, and converting energy crops, entrepreneurs who are commercializing biomass energy projects, and those involved in designing solid and liquid waste disposal-energy recovery systems.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 651 pages
• Publisher: Academic Press; 1 edition (July 9, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0124109500
• ISBN-13: 978-0124109506
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,007,120 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic book and thorough review back to first principles, April 30, 2011

By 

ChemSciGuy (Midland, MI USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful review of the challenges facing biomass-based fuels, especially liquid transportation fuels. Klass covers the challenges going all the way back to photosynthetic efficiency. The bibliography is complete and references easily checked. If you are interested in really understanding biofuels, this is the book for you.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A TON of resources, but dry to read, August 19, 2010

By 

D. Burke (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Biomass for Renewable Energy, Fuels, and Chemicals (Hardcover)

There are many tables and charts that are VERY useful for biomass. Even though this book is old, a lot of the information is still good. I heard that the author passed away before finishing an updated revision.

This book is horrible if you read it cover-to-cover, (except for chapter 4, which was pretty interesting).