Methods and apparatuses for processing hydrocarbons to produce light olefins

A method for processing hydrocarbons to produce light olefins, the method comprising:

• passing a primary hydrocarbon feed stream, and a co-feed of steam, to a feed inlet of a reactor for contact with catalyst, the co-feed provided in an amount of about 1 to 150 mass percent of the co-feed relative to a mass of the primary hydrocarbon feed stream, wherein the reactor comprises:
• an upper reactor portion defining an upper reaction zone, the upper reactor portion comprising a catalyst inlet for receiving the catalyst and a hydrocarbon product outlet, wherein the catalyst inlet and the hydrocarbon product outlet are positioned at or near the top of the upper reaction zone, and wherein a reaction zone refers to an area where a particular reaction takes place in the reactor;
• and
• a lower reactor portion defining a lower reaction zone, the lower reactor portion comprising the feed inlet and a catalyst outlet, wherein the feed inlet and the catalyst outlet are positioned at or near the bottom of the lower reaction zone, and wherein the lower reaction zone is in fluid communication with and adjacent to the upper reaction zone;
• and
• wherein:
• the catalyst has a downward superficial velocity through the upper reaction zone and the lower reaction zone and the hydrocarbon feed stream has an upward superficial velocity through the upper reaction zone and lower reaction zone such that the hydrocarbon feed stream and the catalyst move with a counter-current orientation and contact;
• the upper reaction zone operates with a counter-current plug flow regime, wherein a catalyst-to-oil ratio on a mass basis in the upper reaction zone is from about 5 to 100 and the superficial velocity of the hydrocarbon feed stream in the upper reaction zone is about 10 m/s or less;
• the lower reaction zone operates with a dense bed fluidization regime, wherein a weight hourly space velocity of the lower reaction zone is from about 1 to 200 hr−1;
• and
• contacting the catalyst with the hydrocarbon feed stream and the co-feed cracks one or more components of the hydrocarbon feed stream and forms a hydrocarbon product stream, wherein the hydrocarbon product stream comprises light olefins including one or more of ethylene, propylene, or butene, and other reaction products including one or more of dry gas, LPG, aromatics, light naphtha, full range naphtha, heavy naphtha, light cycle oil, or heavy cycle oil;
• and
• passing the hydrocarbon product stream out of the upper reaction zone through the hydrocarbon product outlet;
• wherein the primary hydrocarbon feed stream comprises one or more of C4 components, light naphtha, heavy naphtha, full range naphtha, vacuum gas oil, crude oil, FCC gasoline, olefinic naphtha, atmospheric residue, vacuum residue, condensate, deasphalted crude oil, dewaxed crude oil, deasphalted-dewaxed crude oil, middle distillates, or kerosene.