NOVELTY - Method for converting a fluid organic fuel system comprising carbon and oxygen into gases comprising molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide involves: contacting the fluid organic fuel system and a surface that comprises a metal catalyst comprising a transition metal and optionally a lanthanide metal, in the presence of oxygen gas; in which the metal catalyst is maintained at 400-1600 degrees C, and the carbon/oxygen ratio of the fuel is 0.1-20.    USE - For converting a fluid organic fuel system comprising carbon and oxygen (including plant biomass, municipal waste biomass, animal biomass, or biodiesel-formation byproduct), into gases comprising molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide (claimed), such as syngas, useful for conversion into synthetic liquid fuels such as diesel fuel through the Fischer Tropsch process; or to methanol or dimethyl ether, to allow high efficiency end use in modern diesel engines, and for producing chemicals, and fertilizers; and the hydrogen is useful for fuel cells and for onboard combustion in vehicles for enhanced performance and reduced emissions.    ADVANTAGE - The method provides a direct thermochemical conversion of biomass, without significant pre-processing, to a single clean stream of syngas, and provides significant economic and environmental benefits; as compared to the current processes that lack effective catalytic methods that are easily scalable and sufficiently simple for coupling to standard reforming practices. The method provides a unique catalytic method to convert fluid biomass to synthesis gas (syngas). The method can be at least an order of magnitude faster than existing systems. Fluid biomass directly contacting a hot catalytic surface, maintained at a high temperature by heat conduction from partial oxidation of the biomass, is subjected to rapid decomposition to a clean synthesis gas stream at millisecond times with minimal or no char formation. High selectivity to hydrogen and carbon monoxide (synthesis gas) can be obtained from biomass, such as non-volatile and/or high-boiling oils, and various solutions or organic matter; and permits production of synthetic fuels from fluid biomass in a compact and simple process. In the process, the droplets of nonvolatile fuels such as soy oil and glucose-water solutions are flash evaporated by catalytic partial oxidation to produce hydrogen in high yields with a total time in the reactor of less than 500 milliseconds. The pyrolysis, coupled with catalytic oxidation of the fuels and their fragments upon impact with a hot rhodium-cerium catalyst surface, avoids the formation of deactivating carbon layers on the catalyst. The catalytic reactions of these products generate approximately 1 megawatt of heat/m2, which maintains the catalyst surface above 800 degrees C at high drop impact rates. At these temperatures, heavy fuels can be catalytically transformed directly into hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and other small molecules in very short contact times without the formation of carbon. In the method, the metal catalyst is maintained at a sufficiently high temperatures of 400-1600 degrees C, which prevents formation of deactivating carbon layers i.e. char formation in an amount that is capable of preventing the production of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas. The reactant fluids and gases are introduced to the reactor at room temperature and the entire system does not make use of an external heating system. Thus the method provides an improved process for using renewable fuels such as vegetable oils and liquids produced by hydrolysis or pyrolysis of biomass.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Method for converting a fluid organic fuel system comprising carbon and optionally oxygen into gases comprising molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide involves: contacting the fluid organic fuel system and a surface that comprises a metal catalyst comprising a transition metal and optionally a lanthanide metal, in the presence of oxygen gas; in which the metal catalyst is maintained at 400-1600 degrees C, and the carbon/oxygen ratio of the fuel is 0.1-20; and optionally in the additional presence of a 1-3 carbon containing hydrocarbon gas, water, an organic solvent, and/or an inert gas, to provide the molecular hydrogen and the carbon monoxide. The sufficiently high temperatures prevent formation of deactivating carbon layers in an amount that is capable of preventing the production of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas. The fuel is impinged onto the metal catalyst by spraying to produce small droplets or an aerosol with a fuel injector, pressurized nozzle, fogger or nebulizer, and reactive flash volatilization is carried out for 0.1-100 milliseconds; or the fuel is volatilized before contacting the surface. The total residence time of the reactants is 0.1-500 milliseconds. The contacting occurs in the presence of reactant gases comprising oxygen (0.1-100 mole%); and in conjunction with steam or water, to provide a steam-to-carbon ratio of 0-5. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for method for converting a fluid organic fuel system comprising carbon and oxygen into gases comprising molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide involving: contacting a carbon and hydrogen-containing fluid fuel and a mixed-transition metal catalyst in the presence of oxygen to produce hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide, in which the contacting occurs at a temperature sufficiently high to prevent char formation in an amount capable of stopping production of the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic diagram of a nonvolatile liquids processing reactor.