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Crop residues: Difference between revisions
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Nearly every food crop has some parts that are too fibrous for people to eat. These are referred to as [[crop residues]] or ''biomass waste.'' | |||
'''Examples:''' | '''Examples:''' | ||
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* peanut shells | * peanut shells | ||
* coconut shells | * coconut shells | ||
* empty corn cobs with no kernels | * empty corn cobs with no kernels | ||
* rice husks | |||
* sunflower seed husks | |||
* [[straw]] | * [[straw]] | ||
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'''Abundance:''' | '''Abundance:''' | ||
* Production is roughly equal to food production, because about half of the average food crop is biomass waste (the other half is food). | * Production is roughly equal to food production, because about half of the average food crop is biomass waste (the other half is food). | ||
* This page needs more precise numbers. | * This page needs more precise numbers. | ||
--> | |||
'''Uses:''' | '''Uses:''' | ||
# All biomass waste can be burned for [[energy]]. | # All biomass waste can be burned for [[energy]]. | ||
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3 and 4 are both ways to convert fiber into human-edible protein & calories. Help figure out which of these processes is more efficient overall. This page doesn't have enough information yet - join the {{talk}}. | 3 and 4 are both ways to convert fiber into human-edible protein & calories. Help figure out which of these processes is more efficient overall. This page doesn't have enough information yet - join the {{talk}}. | ||
==Supply== | ==Supply== | ||
{{dp | {{dp | ||
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|4 kalorie/gram | |4 kalorie/gram | ||
}} | }} | ||
{{dp | |||
|power_plant.efficiency | |||
|33% | |||
|How much of the fuel combustion heat becomes electricity | |||
|This applies to any power plant that runs on biomass, coal, nuclear fission, or in some cases natural gas. The fuel heats water which generates steam to drive a turbine that generates electricity. | |||
}} | |||
How much does the world produce: | |||
{{calc | {{calc | ||
|crop_residues / world.population | |crop_residues / world.population | ||
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|dry_mass | |dry_mass | ||
}} | }} | ||
If all of it was burned for [[energy]], it would be equivalent to burning: | |||
{{calc | {{calc | ||
|dry_mass * fiber.energy_by_mass | |dry_mass * fiber.energy_by_mass | ||
|cups gasoline/day per capita | |||
}} | |||
If it was burned in a power plant, the electricity generated would be: | |||
{{calc | |||
|dry_mass * fiber.energy_by_mass * power_plant.efficiency | |||
|watts per capita | |watts per capita | ||
}} | }} | ||
<!-- | '''Biomass energy is nowhere near enough to power the world.''' | ||
<!--But it's still better than nothing, and at least it's not the same as [[biofuel|burning edible food]].--> | |||
--> | |||