the 05/14/2008

Austrian air seperation specialists go for broad appeal

 A pioneer of his day and age, Carl von Linde invented the air separation process in 1902. From those humble

beginnings to global player: Von Linde’s breakthrough invention was the stepping stone for the Linde Gas success

story over the past century. Nowadays Linde Gas products span the entire globe and may travel thousands of

kilometers to reach customers around the world - even in the most remote areas. In the heart of Austria, at the

Linde Gas Production centre in Linz, however, gases stay right in the neighborhood and supply one of the country’

s largest industrial complexes. Linz is one of numerous Linde Gas production facilities in Austria, and it mainly

produces nitrogen, oxygen, and rare gases such as argon, krypton, and xenon. Local customers acquire 90% of the

production, and only 10% actually hit the open market. Located on the same premise as Linde Gas, the Austrian

steel giant voestalpine Stahl and the near-by chemical complex Chemiepark Linz require gas quantities at varying

flow rates. Accounting for about 78% of the Linz plant’s overall production, nitrogen is widely used in the

chemical industry and in food technology, for example. “It is used in many areas of the food industry,” says

Deputy Plant Manager Franz Stangl, “Take the frosting of hamburgers, for example, or the cooling of baked goods.

” As a whole, Linde Gas Austria, an Atlas Copco client, produces hundreds of different gases and serves some

42,000 customers in Austria, while covering a host of applications. “We have a very large mix of products,” says

Roland Wenninger, Sales Director for Linde Gas Austria, “There’s hardly a segment that we do not service. We’ll

supply, say, a locksmith, a farmer, or a pub. And we also serve the huge industrial facilities as well.” Case in

point: Linz. The customers voestalpine and Chemiepark Linz receive their gas through on-site pipelines. Compressor

is the plant’s “refrigerator” To cover this broad range, Linde Gas Austria requires suppliers that can meet

these diverse needs and provide solutions for different gases. Over the last three decades, Linde Gas in Linz

acquired Atlas Copco machines for different sections of the plant, including numerous expansion turbines, an argon

compressor, and another turbocompressor for air supply. One of the 11 Atlas Copco machines used in Linz is

employed inside the LZA9 – Austria’s largest air separation unit. Linde Gas uses a four-stage GT040 (with

feedgas and subsequently installed booster turbines) as a recycle compressor for nitrogen. It reaches a maximum

capacity of 75,000 Nm3/h and a pressure of 28 bar. It can produce up to 45.000 Nm3/h of oxygen, 40,000 Nm3/h of

nitrogen, and roughly 10,000 Nm3/h liquefied gases. “The compressor is the LZA9’s refrigerator,” says Stangl.

In other words: no matter in which of the many applications the Linde Gas nitrogen will be used – it all starts

right here, at the “coolest spot” of the plant.