B

B100 – B100 is another name for pure biodiesel.

B20 - A blend of biodiesel fuel with petroleum-based diesel where 20% of the volume is biodiesel.

Background Level -The average amount of a substance present in the environment. Originally referring to naturally occurring phenomena. Used in toxic substance monitoring.

Backup Electricity - Power or services needed occasionally; for example, when on-site generation equipment fails.

Backup Rate - A utility charge for providing occadional electricity service to replace on-site generation.

Baffle Chamber -In incinerator design, a chamber designed to settle fly ash and coarse particulate matter by changing the direction and reducing the velocity of the combustion gases.

Bagasse - A sugarcane waste currently used for as a feedstock for producing ethanol.

Balance of Payments - The dollar amount difference between a country's exports and imports. In the United States, large oil imports are one of the main causes of the negative balance of payments with the rest of the world.

Bark - The outer protective layer of a tree outside the cambium comprising the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner bark is a layer of living bark that separates the outer bark from the cambium and in a living tree is generally soft and moist. the outer bark is a layer of dead bark that forms the exterior surface if the tree stem. The outer bark is frequently dry and corky.

Barrel of Oil Equivalent - A unit of energy equal to the amount of energy contained in a barrel of crude oil. Approximately 5.78 million Btu or 1,700 kWh. One barrel = 5.6 cubic feet or .159 cubic meters; for crude oil, one barrel is about .136 metric tons, .134 long tons, and .150 short tons. A barrel is a liquid measure equal to 42 gallons or about 306 pounds.

Base - A classification of substances which when combined with an acid will form a salt plus water, usually producing hydroxide ions when dissolved.

Baseload Capacity - The power output that generating equipment can continuously produce.

Baseload Demand - The minimum demand experienced by an electric utility, usually 30-40% of the utility's peak demand.

Batch Distillation - A process in which the liquid feed is placed in a single container and the entire volume in=s heated, in contrast to continuous distillation in which the liquid is fed continuously through the still.

Batch Fermentation - Fermentation conducted from start to finish in a single vessel.
Batch Process - Unit operation where one cycle of feedstock preparation, cooking, fermentation and distillation is completed before the next cycle is started.

BATF - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. Under the U.S. Department of Treasury. Responsible for the issuance of permits, both experimental and commercial, for the production of alcohol.

Beer - A general term for all fermented malt beverages flavored with hops. A low level (6 to 12 percent) alcohol solution derived from the fermentation of mash by microorganisms.

Beer Still - The stripping section of a distillation column for concentrating ethanol.

Benzene - A toxic, six-carbon aromatic component of gasoline, A known carcinogen.

Bi-Fuel Vehicle - A vehicle with two separate fuel systems designed to run on either an alternative fuel, or gasoline or diesel, using only one fuel at a time. Bi-fuel vehicles are referred to as "dual-fuel" vehicles in the Clean Air Act Amendments and Energy Policy Act.

Biobased - Derived from biological materials.

Biobased Product: The term 'biobased product' as defined by Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (FSRIA), means a product determined by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to be a commercial or industrial product (other than food or feed), that is composed in whole or in significant part, of biological products or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials.

Bio-Naphtha - A term used in some eastern European nations for biodiesel.

Bioaccumulation - Also Bioconcentration. The accumulation of a chemical in tissues of an organism to levels greater than in the environment in which the organism lives.

Biobutanol – Biobutanol is an advantaged biofuel that offers a number of benefits over conventional biofuels. For example, biobutanol has energy content closer to that of petroleum so consumers face less of a compromise on fuel economy. It can easily be added to conventional petrol due to low vapor pressure and can be blended at higher concentrations than bioethanol for use in standard vehicle engines. DuPont and BP are working together on a major project to produce biobutanol

Biochemical Conversion - The use of enzymes and catalysts to change biological substances chemically to produce energy products. For example, the digestion of organic wastes or sewage by microorganisms to produce methane is a biochemical process.

Biochemical Conversion Process - The use of living organisms or their products to convert organic material to fuels, chemicals or other products.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand - BOD. A standard means of estimating the degree of water pollution, especially of water bodies that receive contamination from sewage and industrial waste. BOD is the mount of oxygen needed by bacteria and other microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water. The greater the BOD, the greater the degree of pollution. Biochemical oxygen demand is a process that occurs over a period of time and is commonly measured for a five-day period, referred to as BOD5.

Bioconcentration- Also Bioaccumulation. The accumulation of a chemical in tissues of an organism to levels greater than in the environment in which the organism lives.

Biodegradable - Capable of decomposing rapidly under natural conditions.

Biodegradable Plastics - Are plastics that will decompose in the natural environment.

Biodiesel – Biodiesel is a clean burning, renewable diesel fuel that can be refined from algae, vegetable oils (including soy beans, sunflowers, peanuts, rapeseed, palm oil, jatropha etc.), fish oils, animal tallow, and used restaurant oils and grease. Pure biodiesel contains no petroleum, but can be blended freely with petroleum-based diesel. Blends of up to 20% biodiesel with 80% petroleum diesel (B20) can generally be used in unmodified compression ignition (diesel) engines. Biodiesel can also be used in its pure form (referred to as B100), but often minor engine modifications are necessary to avoid maintenance or performance problems. Biodiesel is simple to use, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. For biodiesel the use of algal feedstocks is an area of intense study because the theoretical energy yields are much greater than for other feedstocks . There are additional environmental advantages to algae, including CO2 consumption and the potential for the usage of wastewater in its cultivation.

Biodiesel Blend - Blends of biodiesel and diesel fuels. The blend can be with Diesel #1, Diesel #2, or JP8. One standard blend that meets the minimum requirements of the federal EPA Clean Air Act criteria is B20. The number after "B" indicates the percentage of biodiesel included in the blend. In B20, there would be 20%.

Biodiesel Recipe - The most common recipe uses waste vegetable oil (WVO), methanol (wood alcohol), and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda/lye) to produce biodiesel and glycerin. The most common steps are: (1) cleaning/heating WVO, (2) titration of WVO sample, (3) combining methanol and sodium hydroxide in exact amounts, (4) combining (3) with (1) and mixing at 50c, (5) settling (6) separating the biodiesel from the wastes, (7) washing and drying the biodiesel, (8) disposing of wastes.

Bioenergy: Useful, renewable energy produced from organic matter - the conversion of the complex carbohydrates in organic matter to energy. this fuel is burned or converted in systems that produce heat, electricity, or both heat and power.Organic matter may either be used directly as a fuel, processed into liquids and gasses, or be a residual of processing and conversion.

Bioethanol - Also known as ethanol, is an alcohol biofuel with the chemical formula CH3CH20H that is traditionally produced by the yeast fermentation and distilation of starch or sugar crops such as corn, sugar beet or sugar cane. Ethanol can also be produced from other feedstocks such as agricultural residues and biomass crops such as switchgrass. This is known as second generation or cellulosic ethanol. Ethanol can be blended with petroleum for use in vehicles. Grain alcohol.

Biofuel – The term biofuel applies to any solid, liquid, or gaseous fuel produced from organic (once-living) matter. The word biofuel covers a wide range of products, some of which are commercially available today, and some of which are still in research and development. First-generation biofuel is derived from the fruit of the plant and has a comparatively low potential to reduce CO2 and a low yield per unit area. Its cultivation does compete with food production.Second-generation biofuel Is preferably produced from the entire plant or from residue and waste materials and has a high potential to reduce CO2 and a high yield per unit area. It is not in competition with food production.

Biogas - A combustible gas derived from decomposing biological waste. Biogas normally consists of 50 to 60% methane.

Bioheat - A name sometimes applied to biodiesel when its application is for heating purposes.

Biological Assessment - A specific process required as part of an environmental assessment. An evaluation of potential effects of a proposed project on endangered, threatened and sensitive animal and plant species and their habitats.

Biological Oxidation -Decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms.

Biomass: Any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including agricultural crops and trees, wood and wood residues, plants (including aquatic plants), grasses, animal residues, municipal residues, and other residue materials. Biomass is generally produced in a sustainable manner from water and carbon dioxide by photosynthesis. There are three main categories of biomass - primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Biomass Fuel -Liquid, solid or gaseous fuel produced by conversion of biomass.

Biomass Processing Residues - Byproducts from processing all forms of biomass that have significant energy potential. For example, making solid wood products and pulp from logs produces bark, shavings and sawdust, and spent pulping liquors. Because these residues are already collected at the point if processing, they can be convenient and relatively inexpensive sources of biomass for energy.

Biopolymers - Are produced from biomass for use in the packaging industry. Biomass crops used to produce biopolymers are classified as non-food stocks. Also known as renewable polymers.

Bioreactor – A bioreactor is a vessel in which a chemical process occurs. This usually involves organisms or biochemically active substances derived from such organisms

Biopower: The use of biomass feedstock to produce electric power or heat through direct combustion of the feedstock, through gasification and then combustion of the resultant gas, or through other thermal conversion processes. Power is generated with engines, turbines, fuel cells, or other equipment.

Biorefinery - According to the 2008 Farm Act, the term means a facility that processes and converts renewable biomass into biofuels and biobased products, and may produce electricity. Biorefineries can be based on a number of processing platforms using mechanical, thermal, chemical, and biochemical processes.

Biosphere - The portion of the Earth and its atmosphere that can support life.

Biotechnology - Technology that use living organisms to produce products such as medicines, to improve plants or animals, or to produce microorganisms for bioremediation.

Biotic - Pertaining to life or living organisms.

Black Liquor: Solution of lignin-residue and the pulping chemicals used to extract lignin during the manufacture of paper.

BOD -Biochemical Oxygen Demand. A standard means of estimating the degree of water pollution, especially of water bodies that receive contamination from sewage and industrial waste. BOD is the mount of oxygen needed by bacteria and other microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water. The greater the BOD, the greater the degree of pollution. Biochemical oxygen demand is a process that occurs over a period of time and is commonly measured for a five-day period, referred to as BOD5.

BOD5 -The amount of dissolved oxygen consumed in five days by biological processes breaking down organic matter.See also: Biochemical Oxygen Demand

Boiler - Any device used to burn biomass fuel to heat water for generating steam.

Boiler Horsepower - A measure of the maximum rate of energy output of a steam generator. One boiler horsepower equals 33,480 Btu/hr output in steam

Bone Dry: Having zero percent moisture content. Wood heated in an oven at a constant temperature of 100°C (212°F) or above until its weight stabilizes is considered bone dry or oven dry.

Bottoming Cycle: A cogeneration system in which steam is used first for process heat and then for electric power production.

Brewing - Generically, the entire beer-making process, but technically only the pat of the process during which the beer wort is cooked in a brew kettle and during which time the hops are added. After brewing, the beer is fermented.

British Thermal Unit - BTU. A quantitative measure of heat equivalent to the amount of heat required to raise 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Brown Grease - Waste grease that is the least expensive of the various grades of wast grease.

BTL - Biomass-to-liquid, is a multi-step process which converts biomass into liqiud biofuels. BTL is also referred to as a second generation biodiesel production. There are many diferent methods of BTL, but many processes include Fischer- Tropsch, hydrogenation, or pyrolysis.

BTX -Industry term referring to the group of aromatic hydrocarbons—benzene, toluene and xylene (see aromatics).

Bubble Wash - A method of final washing of biodiesel through air agitation. Biodiesel floats above a quantity of water. Bubbles from an aquarium pump and air stone are injected into the water causing the bubbles to rise. At the water/biodiesel interface, the air bubbles carry water up through the biodiesel by surface tension. Simple diffusion causes water soluble impurities in the biodiesel to be extracted into the water. As the bubble reaches the surface and breaks, the water is freed and percolates back down through the biodiesel again.

Bubble-Cap Trays - Cross flow trays usually installed in rectifying columns handling liquids free of suspended solids. The bubble caps consist of circular cups inverted over small vapor pipes. The vapor from the tray below passes through the vapor pipes into the caps and curves downward to escape below the rim into the liquid. The rim of each cap is slotted or serrated to break up the escaping vapor into small bubbles, thereby increasing the surface area of the vapor as it passes through the liquid.

Bulk Density - Weight per unit of volume, usually specified in pounds per cubic foot.

Bureay of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms- BATF. under the U.S. Department of Treasury. Responsible for the issuance of permits, both experimental and commercial, for the production of alcohol.

Butane - A gas derived from natural gas. used as a component of gasoline. Used in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for domestic and industrial applications.

Butanol -An alcohol with the chemical formula CH3(CH2)3OH. It is formed during anaerobic fermentation using bacteria to convert the sugars to butanol and carbon dioxide.

Butyl Alcohol - An alcohol with the chemical formula CH3(CH2)3OH. It is formed during anaerobic fermentation using bacteria to convert the sugars to butanol and carbon dioxide.

By-product – A by-product is a substance, other than the principal product, generated as a consequence of creating a biofuel. For example, a by-product of biodiesel production is glycerin and a by-product of bioethanol production is DDGS.