Inherently safe oxygen/hydrocarbon gas mixer

A method, comprising:

• i) introducing a hydrocarbon-containing gas into a first pre-mix zone flooded with a non-flammable liquid to form a first saturated gas mixture comprising the hydrocarbon-containing gas saturated with a vapor of the non-flammable liquid;
• ii) introducing an oxidant-containing gas into a second pre-mix zone flooded with the non-flammable liquid to form a second saturated gas mixture comprising the oxidant-containing gas saturated with another vapor of the non-flammable liquid, the second pre-mix zone being physically separated from the first pre-mix zone by a pipe;
• iii) introducing, separately, the first saturated gas mixture and the second saturated gas mixture into a flooded region of a common mixing zone partially flooded with the non-flammable liquid and comprising the flooded region and a headspace;
• iv) mixing the first saturated gas mixture with the second saturated gas mixture within the flooded region to form a homogeneous gas mixture comprising the hydrocarbon-containing gas, and the oxidant-containing gas saturated with non-flammable liquid;
• and
• v) recovering the homogeneous gas mixture from the headspace,
• wherein the first pre-mix zone is disposed within the second pre-mix zone, and
• the first pre-mix zone is flooded with the non-flammable liquid through a valve disposed at a front end of the pipe.

A method of operating a gas mixer comprising a first pre-mix zone physically separated from a second pre-mix zone by a pipe, each of the first pre-mix and second pre-mix zones comprising a front end and a back end, and a mixing zone continuous with the back end of each of the first and second pre-mix zones, the method comprising:

• i) flooding the first and second pre-mix zones with a non-flammable liquid;
• ii) partially flooding the mixing zone with the non-flammable liquid such that the mixing zone has a flooded region and a head space;
• iii) saturating a hydrocarbon-containing gas with the non-flammable liquid in the first pre-mix zone;
• iv) saturating an oxidant-containing gas with the non-flammable liquid in the second pre-mix zone;
• v) mixing the saturated hydrocarbon-containing gas with saturated oxidant-containing gas in the flooded region to create bubbles of a homogeneous gas mixture, the homogeneous gas mixture comprising the hydrocarbon-containing gas and the oxidant-containing gas, the homogeneous gas mixture being outside of the flammability limit;
• vi) allowing the homogeneous gas mixture to exit the flooded region and enter the head space;
• and
• vii) removing the homogeneous gas mixture from the head space,
• wherein the first pre-mix zone is disposed within the second pre-mix zone, and
• the first pre-mix zone is flooded with the non-flammable liquid through a valve disposed at a front end of the pipe.

A process comprising:

• i) mixing an ethane containing gas and a oxidant-containing gas within a gas mixer comprising a first pre-mix zone flooded with a non-flammable liquid, the first pre-mix zone physically separated from a second pre-mix zone by a pipe, the second pre-mix zone flooded with the non-flammable liquid, and a mixing zone partially flooded with the non-flammable liquid to create a head space and a flooded region, the flooded region comprising an internal mixing mechanism and separately fluidly connected to the first and second pre-mix zones;
• ii) recovering a gas mixture comprising ethane and the oxidant-containing gas, the gas mixture outside the flammability limit from the head space;
• iii) passing the gas mixture through at least one ODH reactor comprising an ODH catalyst to form a product stream comprising unreacted ethane, ethylene, water, acetic acid;
• iv) directing the product stream to at least one quench tower to remove acetic acid and water;
• v) directing the product stream downstream of the at least one quench tower through at least one amine wash to remove carbon dioxide;
• vi) directing the product stream downstream of the at least one amine wash through a demethanizer to remove a carbon monoxide component and a methane component, when present in the product stream, from the product stream;
• and
• vii) directing the product stream downstream of the demethanizer to a C2 splitter to separate the ethylene from the unreacted ethane,
• wherein the first pre-mix zone is disposed within the second pre-mix zone, and
• the first pre-mix zone is flooded with the non-flammable liquid through a valve disposed at a front end of the pipe.