Cold Box Module Assembly for Transportable Distillation Columns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Large air separation plants face challenges in transportation and installation due to the size of distillation columns, which limits prefabrication and increases on-site construction requirements, leading to longer installation times and higher costs.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for designing a cold box module that can be shipped in one or two pieces, with support saddles and a jacking system to facilitate horizontal transportation and vertical assembly, including pre-installed platforms, lighting, and utility lines to minimize site work and reduce installation time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If large distillation columns are constructed in fabrication shops and transported to installation sites, then prefabrication is achieved and on-site construction is minimized, but transportation constraints limit the size of columns that can be shipped
Solution Approach 1:
The cold box module is divided into an upper module section and a lower module section that can be transported separately and then assembled on-site. The distillation column is similarly segmented into upper and lower column sections. This segmentation allows each section to meet transportation size constraints while enabling the construction of larger overall plant capacity through on-site assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from vertical transportation orientation to horizontal transportation orientation. The cold box module is designed to be shipped horizontally in one or two pieces, with the distillation column laid horizontally during transportation. This dimensional change allows larger columns to be transported by adjusting their orientation rather than reducing their size.
2Productivity
If more prefabrication is done in the factory, then on-site construction time is reduced, but transportation constraints prevent shipping of complete large-scale modules
Solution Approach 1:
The complete air separation plant is segmented into transportable module sections, each containing portions of the distillation column, cold box, and associated equipment. This allows maximum prefabrication within transportation constraints, with multiple sections assembled on-site to achieve the desired total plant capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold box module is pre-assembled in the factory with the distillation column already positioned inside before shipping. Support saddles are pre-installed on the column sections, and the module is prepared for horizontal transportation. This preliminary action maximizes factory prefabrication while accommodating transport limitations.
3Length of moving object
If the cold box is erected and installed at the installation site with columns already in place, then transportation constraints are avoided, but on-site construction time and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The distillation column is preliminarily positioned inside the cold box module during factory assembly, rather than being installed separately on-site. The support saddles are pre-installed on the column sections before shipping. This preliminary positioning of the column within the module significantly reduces on-site installation time while still meeting transportation constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The cold box and distillation column are merged into a single integrated module assembly that is transported together. This combining of previously separate transportation items into one module reduces the number of on-site assembly operations required, thereby reducing installation time and costs.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a single cold box module design is used for both single-piece and two-piece shipping, then design complexity is reduced and versatility is improved, but transportation limitations still constrain the maximum plant size
Solution Approach 1:
The cold box module is designed with universal features that allow it to be shipped as either a single complete piece or as two separate sections (upper and lower module sections). The same basic module design can accommodate different shipping configurations based on transportation availability, providing flexibility without requiring completely different designs for each scenario.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for constructing a cold box module and resulting apparatus is provided. The method can include providing a cold box module having framing and an upper and lower module sections, introducing an upper column section longitudinally into the upper module section while the upper module section is substantially horizontal; introducing a lower column section longitudinally into the lower module section while the lower module section is substantially horizontal; releasably attaching the lower column section to the lower module section using shipping saddle spacers and support saddles; and attaching a skirt attachment to the lower column section and the lower module section, wherein the skirt attachment is configured to limit longitudinal movement of the lower column section when the lower module section is in a horizontal position during transport. After erecting the cold box module at the installation site, the shipping saddle spacers can be removed and the upper column section is lowered using a jacking system located on the roof of the cold box module.