Coldboxes, packaged units and cryogenic columns

World expert in cryogenic process plant design, we are a technology leader in the engineering of packaged units, coldboxes and columns.

Linde Engineering designed 6 rectification coldboxes, with more than 2,000 tonnes of steel structure and with a capacity of 6x3,600 tonnes of Oxygen per day, for the Shenhua Ningxia Coal-to-Liquid Project, near Yinchuan City in China.

Coldboxes/ packaged units

Linde Engineering is a technology leader in the assembly of packaged units and coldboxes with over 125 years of experience in cryogenic process plant design.

Packaged units – also known as coldboxes – are utilised in a wide range of applications for the treatment of cryogenic fluids and gases, including air separation plants, gas separation and liquefaction plants, chemical and petrochemical plants.

We deliver a range of coldboxes in sizes of up to 5 m by 7 m and up to 40 m long. Boxes that are too large for preassembly and road transport are assembled and tested directly on site or at Linde Engineering workshops located near harbours. The coldboxes are insulated by packing perlite in the empty spaces around the cryogenic equipment.

All of our components are factory assembled and welded, which speeds up construction and set-up times on site saving delivery time and reducing cost.

All of our packaged units are designed according to client specifications. They also meet requisite national and international standards and regulations, such as AD-2000, the Pressure Equipment Directive 97/23/EG (PED, CE-marking), ASME, British Standards, and DIN or EN.

The self-supporting steel compartment comprises a number of components including:

Columns
Plate-fin heat exchangers
Pressure vessels
Separators
Interconnecting piping

Instrument lines for temperature and pressure measurements
Pressure difference and level indicators
Wall penetrations
Valves

Cryogenic columns

Linde Engineering’s unparalleled experience in air separation technology puts us at the forefront of cryogenic column design and manufacturing.

Cryogenic columns are pressure vessels made of aluminium alloy. They are used as rectifiers, purifiers and stabilisers at low temperatures of between -269°C and +65°C (4°K to 338°K). The columns are key components in the treatment of cryogenic fluids and gases and are typically used in air separation plants, gas separation and liquefaction plants as well as in chemical and petrochemical plants. We design cryogenic columns in line with our own hydraulic layout or to customer specifications.

A single column can measure up to 7 m in diameter, be up to 45 m long, and weigh up to 170 tons. The walls can be up to 70 mm thick. Components that exceed these dimensions are welded at Linde workshops near harbours or directly on site.

We build our columns in line with international standards and deploy special welding technology and sophisticated equipment to achieve optimal quality.

Our experienced specialists collaborate with international forwarding agents and shipping lines to ensure that components are transported with the utmost care by road or by sea.