FIELD: liquefaction or curing of gases.
SUBSTANCE: air separation plant (100) for obtaining a product containing argon by the low-temperature separation of compressed and cooled feed air, and methods for operation thereof. Plant (100) comprises high pressure column (1), multi-part low-pressure column with foot segment (2) and head segment (3), and multi-part crude argon column having base segment (4) and head segment (5). At least one oxygen-enriched flow (d) can be obtained from at least part of the feed air in high pressure column (1). At least one argon-enriched flow (m) can be obtained from at least part of the oxygen-enriched flow (d) in the low-pressure column, and at least one argon-rich flow (n) can be obtained from at least part of the argon-enriched flow (m) in the crude argon column. Liquid flow (n) is transferred from a lower region of head segment (3) of the low-pressure column and from a lower region of base segment (4) of the crude argon column via common pump (18) into an upper region of base segment (2) of the low-pressure column.
EFFECT: use of the invention will simplify and reduce the cost of assembling and diagnosing components of the plant.
15 cl, 2 dwg
