Air separation plant and air separation process

It has an air separation plant having a distillation column system (10) comprising a high pressure column (11), a low pressure column (12) and a crude argon column (13) and is adapted (from cooled compressed air using high-pressure column (11) and the low pressure column 12 ) to produce an argon-enriched fluid and to feed it (in the crude argon column 13), wherein the crude argon column (13) has a top condenser (100) with liquefaction passages (111) and evaporation passages (112, 113) associated with which is adapted into the liquefaction passages (111) to liquefy a gas mixture of the crude argon column (13) and partially in the evaporation passages (112, 113) to vaporize a liquid coolant partially proposed. The top condenser (100) in this case has a first fluid retaining means (120) and a second liquid retaining means (130) which are each adapted to receive a first and a second portion of the cooling fluid, the first fluid retaining means (120) completely hydrostatic below the second fluid retaining means (130) is disposed Further, the evaporation passages comprise (112, 113) first evaporation passages (112) adapted for heat exchange with a first portion of the liquefaction passages (111) and second evaporation passages (111), the one for a heat exchange with second portion of the liquefaction passages (111) are adapted to, wherein said first evaporation passages (112) have openings within the first fluid retaining means (120) are arranged and the second evaporation passages (112) have openings within the zw nits fluid retaining means (130) are arranged. A corresponding method for the cryogenic separation of air is also subject of the present invention.