Utilization of Carbon Monoxide as a fuel: A greener approach for heat recuperation

Carbon monoxide is one of the unrequired and environmentally harmful by-products of various industries. A detailed design of process equipment for utilizing carbon monoxide as a fuel in industrial premises via Novel Zero Carbon Emission Process (NERS) is provided. A preliminary economic analysis of the designed system is also provided to enhance its practical viability. Based on economic evaluation, it is calculated that one can quickly achieve a temperature of around 523.15 K (250 °C) for water flowing at about 6 kg/s through the heat recuperation system installed in the process equipment. Hence a significant amount of energy that is otherwise wasted in the form of carbon emissions can be economically recovered (having an approximate payback period of around 1.5 years, based on economic analysis and reactor design as per bench-scale data available in the literature). Thus, carbon emissions are reported as a potential heat source for the first time in the literature. Further pilot-scale testing shall be required to affirm the techno-economic data.