Plasma-Driven Carbon dioxide-to-Methanol via Non-thermal Plasma Reverse Water Gas Shift Reactor with Heat Recovery: A 4E Assessment of an Integrated Cogeneration System

This study presents a thermoeconomic and carbon dioxide emission analysis of a novel co-generation system integrating Allam power unit, wind energy, a non-thermal plasma reactor, and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer for methanol generation. The Allam power unit and reverse water gas shift plasma reactor enabled over 99.8% carbon dioxide capture. Simulation results include an energy efficiency of 73.33%, exergy efficiency of 30.34%, methanol production of 0.27 kg/s, and heat distribution to district heating systems. Economic metrics are a levelized cost of product of 0.27367 $ per kWh , and the payback period was 5.57 years. Total carbon dioxide emission was 120.2 kg h with a carbon dioxide footprint of 0.1237. Total system exergy destruction was 15,324 kW, with the proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (23.3%) and Allam power unit chamber (46.1%) being the main contributors. Parametric analysis determined that with constant hydrogen, a carbon dioxide flow rate of 40 kmole h yields the highest methanol production and a total energy efficiency of 82%. This establishes an optimal H 2 CO 2 ratio for methanol production rate and energy efficiency of 2.55 and 3.33 respectively.