Goodwill and Intangible Assets - Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Weighted-average Estimated Useful Life	13 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 551.6	$ 333.1
Accumulated Amortization	(127.4)	(101.0)
Total intangible assets	705.2	431.4
Trademarks and trade names
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Indefinite-lived intangible assets	$ 153.6	98.3
Customer relationships
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Weighted-average Estimated Useful Life	13 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 418.6	254.0
Accumulated Amortization	$ (108.9)	(92.0)
Unpatented technology
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Weighted-average Estimated Useful Life	11 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 91.9	39.4
Accumulated Amortization	$ (9.7)	(5.1)
Land use rights
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Weighted-average Estimated Useful Life	50 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 11.8	12.2
Accumulated Amortization	$ (1.4)	(1.3)
Trademarks and trade names
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Weighted-average Estimated Useful Life	14 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 6.2	13.5
Accumulated Amortization	$ (1.4)	(1.1)
Patents and other
Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets
Weighted-average Estimated Useful Life	4 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 23.1	14.0
Accumulated Amortization	$ (6.0)	$ (1.5)

Schedule of Finite-lived and Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]

No definition available.

Name:	gtls_ScheduleOfFiniteLivedAndIndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	gtls_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average amortization period of finite-lived intangible assets acquired either individually or as part of a group of assets, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16265-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcquiredFiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsWeightedAverageUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Accumulated amount of amortization of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAccumulatedAmortization
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before amortization of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance with a finite life.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 928
-SubTopic 340
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6473545&loc=d3e61844-108004

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of assets, excluding financial assets and goodwill, lacking physical substance and having a projected indefinite period of benefit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66006027&loc=d3e16323-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount before accumulated amortization of intangible assets, excluding goodwill.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IntangibleAssetsGrossExcludingGoodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_TrademarksAndTradeNamesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_CustomerRelationshipsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_UnpatentedTechnologyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_UseRightsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_TrademarksAndTradeNamesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_PatentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: