System and method for production of crude argon by cryogenic rectification of air

A system for producing a crude argon product by cryogenic rectification of a feed air stream comprising:

• a source of compressed and purified feed air;
• a higher pressure column configured to produce an oxygen-enriched liquid and a nitrogen-rich overhead stream by cryogenic rectification of a portion of the compressed and purified feed air within the higher pressure column;
• a lower pressure column configured to receive the nitrogen rich stream from the higher pressure column and produce an oxygen product stream and a nitrogen-rich product stream or waste stream by cryogenic rectification within the lower pressure column;
• an argon column operatively coupled to the lower pressure column and configured to receive an argon-oxygen-containing stream from the lower pressure column and produce an argon-rich vapor stream and an argon-oxygen containing liquid by cryogenic rectification within the argon column, wherein a portion of the argon-oxygen containing liquid is recycled from the argon column to the lower pressure column;
• and
• an argon condensing assembly disposed within the lower pressure column and configured to receive the argon rich vapor stream from the argon column and to receive the oxygen-enriched liquid from the higher pressure column and to condense the argon rich vapor stream against the entire flow of the oxygen-enriched liquid from the higher pressure column to produce a crude argon-rich liquid stream and a partially vaporized oxygen-rich stream;
• the argon condensing assembly is further configured to release the partially vaporized oxygen-rich stream into the lower pressure column;
• at least one control valve disposed upstream of the argon condensing assembly and configured to control the flow of the oxygen-enriched liquid from the higher pressure column to the argon condensing assembly, wherein the flow of the oxygen-enriched liquid from the higher pressure column to the argon condensing assembly is sufficient to keep surfaces of the argon condensing assembly wetted and prevent the argon condensing assembly from boiling to dryness;
• and
• wherein a portion of the crude argon-rich liquid stream is extracted from the argon condensing assembly as the crude argon product.