Cold Box and Cryogenic Plant Including a Cold Box

Abstract

This disclosure discusses providing safer and more accessible insulating cold boxes for cryogenic equipment. A cold box of the current invention includes a housing partially extending out of the cold box jacket wherein equipment that may need to be accessed can be located. The housing includes a breakaway barrier between the main cold box and the external housing to allow overpressures to be relieved into the cold box. Cold boxes may contain cryogenic columns, sections of cryogenic columns, distillation columns, mixing columns, storage vessels, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and combinations thereof. The housing may contain auxiliary elements such as rotating equipment, pumps, turboexpanders, instrument devices, valves, and piping. Placing auxiliary elements in a housing outside the main cold box allows for safer access to cryogenic equipment.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A cold box apparatus comprising:
 (a) a cryogenic assembly comprising:
 (1) a main cryogenic element, and 
 (2) an auxiliary element having a first part and a second part, 
 wherein said first part is connected to said main cryogenic element, 
   (b) an outer jacket comprising:
 (1) an outer wall, 
 (2) an inner wall, and 
 (3) a first space between said inner wall and said outer wall, 
 wherein said outer jacket surrounds at least some of said main cryogenic element, and wherein there is a second space between said outer jacket and said main cryogenic element, 
 (c) a base, and 
 (d) a housing comprising an inner space, wherein said housing extends at least partially outside said outer jacket, and wherein said second part of said auxiliary element extends at least partially into said inner space of said housing. 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said auxiliary element is selected from the group consisting of rotating equipment, pumps, turboexpanders, instrument devices, valves, and piping. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said main cryogenic element is selected from the group consisting of cryogenic columns, sections of cryogenic columns, distillation columns, mixing columns, storage vessels, pressure vessels, heat exchangers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said second space is at least partially filled with insulating material. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said housing is attached to the inner wall of said outer jacket. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a thermal insulator filling at least part of said first space. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein said thermal insulator comprises perlite. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said housing is made of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, stainless steel, aluminum, and alloys thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said auxiliary element is insulated from said main cryogenic element by a barrier. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said barrier is made of material selected from the group consisting of perlite, vermiculite, rock wool, and metal. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said base and said inner wall are impermeable to liquid leaking from said cryogenic assembly. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a sealing plate, wherein said sealing plate and said inner wall are impermeable to liquid. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said apparatus is bolted to the deck of a ship. 
     
     
         34 . A cryogenic plant comprising the apparatus of  claim 21 . 
     
     
         35 . An air distillation plant apparatus comprising the apparatus of  claim 32 .