Linde has completed installation of three coldboxes which are the centerpiece of its air separation unit under construction in La Porte, Texas.
The ASU is part of more than $250m Linde North America is investing to build a state-of-the art air separation unit (ASU), a new gasification train and supporting equipment and facilities in La Porte.
“Installation of the three coldboxes at the site is a major milestone in the construction process,” said Chuck Brooks, head of project execution, North America. “The coldbox is the nerve center of the plant. It’s where the cryogenic distillation of air takes place to separate the major components of the air – oxygen, nitrogen and argon.” The coldbox contains all the equipment needed for the separation process – heat exchangers, distillation columns and associated valves and piping, all of which are heavily insulated.
“The coldboxes, two of which are about 20 stories high, had an interesting journey to the installation site — a journey that required remarkable engineering design and execution,” said Mr. Brooks. The heat exchangers and columns were fabricated at Linde shops in Schalchen, Germany, and trucked to Bremen where the coldboxes were fabricated. The boxes were then shipped to Houston where they were transferred to barges.
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