Biomass

Biomass is related to biological material that died recently and can be used to produce energy (electricity, biofuel, etc.). Fossil fuels aren’t considered biomass, because they are “born” from organic material that has been transformed by geological processes.

The most common biomass resource is the wood.

This source of energy has a lot of negative impacts to the environment (Atmospheric pollution / Dangerous to the Ozone layer).

The plants store some Carbon because of the photosynthesis process (the Carbon stored in dry wood is around 50% of the wood weight). When the plant dies or is burned, the Carbon is released with Oxygen to the Atmosphere as CO2.

It might be a renewable energy, but I think we’d better use the wind power or other renewable energy source that is friend of the environment.







Combustion of wood, an example of the use of biomass energies.





Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass
RODRIGUES, Maria, DIAS, Fernando, Física na Nossa Vida, Porto Editora, 2007