Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Biomass gas (biogas):
A medium-Btu gas containing methane and carbon dioxide,
resulting from the action of microorganisms on organic materials such as
a landfill.
Biomass waste:
Organic non-fossil material of biological origin that is a byprod-
uct or a discarded product. Biomass waste includes municipal solid
waste from biogenic sources, landfill gas, sludge waste, agricultural
crop byproducts, straw, and other biomass solids, liquids, and gases but
excludes wood and wood-derived fuels (including black liquor), biofuels
feedstock, biodiesel, and fuel ethanol. Biomass waste also includes energy
crops grown specifically for energy production that would not normally
constitute waste.
Biomaterials:
Products derived from organic (as opposed to petroleum-based)
products.
Bio-oil:
Intermediate fuel derived from fast pyrolysis.
Biopower:
The use of biomass feedstock to produce electric power to heat through
direct combustion of the feedstock, through gasification and then combus-
tion of the resultant gas, or through other thermal conversion processes.
Power is generated with engines, turbines, fuel cells, or other equipment.
Biorefinery:
A facility that processes and converts biomass into value-added prod-
ucts. These products can range from biomaterials to fuels such as ethanol
or important feedstocks for the production of chemicals and other materi-
als. Biorefineries can be based on a number of processing platforms using
mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biochemical processes.
Biota:
The plant and animal life of a region.
Black liquor (pulping liquor):
The alkaline spent liquor removed from digesters
in the process of chemically pulping wood. After evaporation, the liquor is
burned as a fuel in a recovery furnace that permits the recovery of certain
basic chemicals.
Blackbody:
An ideal substance that absorbs all radiation falling on it and reflects
nothing.
Bone dry:
Having zero percent moisture content.
Borehole breakouts:
Failure of the borehole wall resulting from stress in the rock
surrounding the borehole. The breakout is generally located symmetrically
in the wellbore perpendicular to the direction of greatest horizontal stress
on a vertical wellbore.
Breakwater:
A barrier protecting a harbor or shore from the impact of waves.
Breccia:
A coarse-grained clastic rock composed of angular broken rock fragments
held together by a mineral cement or in a fine-grained matrix.
Breeding habitat:
Habitat used by migratory birds or other animals during the
breeding season.
Brine:
A geothermal solution containing appreciable amounts of sodium chloride
or other salts.
British thermal unit (Btu):
A basic measure of thermal (heat) energy, the Btu is
defined as the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of
1 pound of water by 1°F at normal atmospheric pressure; 1 Btu = 1055
joules.
