System and method for recovery of neon and helium from an air separation unit

A neon recovery system for an air separation unit, the air separation unit comprising a main air compression system, a pre-purification system, a heat exchanger system, and a rectification column system having a higher pressure column and a lower pressure column linked in a heat transfer relationship via a main condenser-reboiler, the neon recovery system comprising:

• a non-condensable stripping column configured to receive a portion of a liquid nitrogen stream from the main condenser-reboiler and a stream of nitrogen rich shelf vapor from the higher pressure column, the non-condensable stripping column further configured to produce a liquid nitrogen column bottoms and a non-condensable gas containing overhead;
• a stripping column condenser configured to receive the non-condensable gas containing overhead from the non-condensable stripping column and a first condensing medium, the stripping column condenser further configured to produce a first condensate that is released into or directed to the non-condensable stripping column and a first stream formed from the vaporization or partial vaporization of the first condensing medium;
• and
• a neon upgrader configured to receive a non-condensable containing vent stream from the stripping column condenser and a second condensing medium, the neon upgrader further configured to produce a second condensate that is released into or directed to the non-condensable stripping column, a boil off stream formed from the vaporization or partial vaporization of the second condensing medium, and a crude neon vapor stream that contains greater than about 50% mole fraction of crude neon vapor;
• wherein all or a portion of the liquid nitrogen column bottoms is subcooled to produce a subcooled liquid nitrogen stream and the second condensing medium is a portion of the subcooled liquid nitrogen stream.