Bio-oil upgrading distributor and process

A process for upgrading a bio-oil stream, comprising:

• charging a bio-oil stream at a temperature of about 95° C. or less through a feed distributor into a reactor, wherein the feed distributor is cooled with a cooling fluid stream as said bio-oil stream passes through a shell of the reactor and through an opening in the distributor into the reactor;
• passing a hydrogen stream to the reactor;
• and
• reacting said bio-oil stream with said hydrogen stream in the presence of a catalyst in the reactor to produce an upgraded bio-oil stream.

An apparatus for upgrading a bio-oil stream, comprising:

• a reactor comprising a shell;
• a feed distributor comprising an outer end disposed outside of the reactor and an opening disposed in the reactor;
• a feed manifold extending from the outer end of the feed distributor and in communication with a feed line;
• a cooling channel adjacent to said feed distributor extending through the shell to the opening of the feed distributor for maintaining the temperature of the feed distributor with a cooling fluid stream;
• and
• a product outlet in the shell.