Methods and apparatuses for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and apparatuses for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream are provided. The method comprises the steps of contacting the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream comprising C 4 , C 5 , C 6 , and/or C 7 hydrocarbons, water, and contaminants with a Linde Type A molecular sieve at dehydration conditions effective to remove water and form a dehydrated feed stream. The contaminants comprise oxygenates, sulfur compounds, or combinations thereof. The dehydrated feed stream is contacted with a sodium faujasite molecular sieve having a silica/alumina molar ratio of from about 2 to about 2.5 at absorption conditions effective to remove the contaminants and form a dehydrated contaminant-depleted feed stream.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for treating a hydrocarbon-containing feed stream, the apparatus comprising:
 a first dryer containing a first quantity of Linde Type A molecular sieve and configured to receive the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream comprising C 4 , C 5 , C 6 , and/or C 7  hydrocarbons, water, and contaminants and to operate in a first dehydration mode at dehydration conditions effective to remove water and form a dehydrated feed stream and a first quantity of spent Linde Type A molecular sieve, wherein the contaminants comprise oxygenates, sulfur compounds, or combinations thereof; and   a guard bed containing sodium faujasite molecular sieve having a silica/alumina molar ratio of from about 2 to about 2.5 and configured to receive at least a portion of the dehydrated feed stream and to operate at absorption conditions effective to remove the contaminants and form a dehydrated contaminant-depleted feed stream.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second dryer for containing a second quantity of the Linde Type A molecular sieve and configured to receive the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream and to operate in a second dehydration mode at the dehydration conditions effective to remove water and form the dehydrated feed stream and a second quantity of the spent Linde Type A molecular sieve, wherein the first and second dryers are cooperatively configured as a swing bed arrangement in which the first dryer in the first dehydration mode receives the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to form the dehydrated feed stream while the second dryer in a first regenerative mode receives a first portion of the dehydrated feed stream from the first dryer to regenerate the second quantity of the spent Linde Type A molecular sieve, and the second dryer in the second dehydration mode receives the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to form the dehydrated feed stream while the first dryer in a second regenerative mode receives a second portion of the dehydrated feed stream from the second dryer to regenerate the first quantity of the spent Linde Type A molecular sieve. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second dryer for containing a second quantity of the Linde Type A molecular sieve and configured to receive the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream and to operate in a second dehydration mode at the dehydration conditions effective to remove water and form the dehydrated feed stream and a second quantity of the spent Linde Type A molecular sieve, wherein the first and second dryers are cooperatively configured as a swing bed arrangement in which the first dryer in the first dehydration mode receives the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to form the dehydrated feed stream while the second dryer in a first regenerative mode receives a first quantity of regenerant to regenerate the second quantity of the spent Linde Type A molecular sieve, and the second dryer in the second dehydration mode receives the hydrocarbon-containing feed stream to form the dehydrated feed stream while the first dryer in a second regenerative mode receives a second quantity of the regenerant to regenerate the first quantity of the spent Linde Type A molecular sieve. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an isomerization reactor for containing an isomerization catalyst in the presence of hydrogen and configured to receive the dehydrated contaminant-depleted feed stream and to operate at isomerization conditions effective to form an isomerization effluent that comprises branched paraffins, olefins, naphthenes, aromatics, or combinations thereof.