Reactive flash volatilization of fluid fuels

1. A method to convert a liquid organic fuel into gasses comprising directly contacting the liquid organic fuel and a surface that comprises a rhodium-cerium catalyst in the presence of oxygen gas;

wherein the gasses comprise molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide;

the rhodium-cerium catalyst is maintained at about 400° C. to about 1600° C.;

the liquid organic fuel comprises carbon and oxygen, and the carbon/oxygen ratio of the fuel is about 0.1 to about 20.0; and

the contacting occurs optionally in the additional presence of a C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbon gas, water, an organic solvent, an inert gas, or a combination thereof;

to provide the molecular hydrogen and the carbon monoxide; and

wherein the liquid organic fuel comprises a liquid solution comprising starch, cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, monosaccharides, disaccharides, or a combination thereof, or soybean oil, glycerol, or a C 8 -C 18 fatty acid or ester thereof; and

wherein the liquid organic fuel is directly impinged onto the rhodium-cerium catalyst by spraying, to produce small droplets or an aerosol, and the spraying is carried out by use of a fuel injector, pressurized nozzle, fogger, or nebulizer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein temperatures above 800° C. are maintained to prevent deactivating carbon layers from forming in an amount capable of preventing the production of hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide gas.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a deactivating carbon layer forms, further comprising volatilizing the deactivating carbon layer by contacting the fuel system and the rhodium-cerium catalyst surface with the C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbon gas, water, an organic solvent, or by increasing the oxygen feed, or a combination thereof, and optionally increasing the temperature of the catalyst.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid organic fuel is impinged onto the rhodium-cerium catalyst by spraying, and reactive flash volatilization is carried out for about 0.1 millisecond to about 100 milliseconds.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the rhodium-cerium catalyst further comprises Ni, Pd, Pt, Co, Ir, Fe, Ru, Os, Cu, Ag, Au, Re, or a combination thereof, and optionally comprises lanthanum.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the rhodium-cerium catalyst further comprises lanthanum.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein contacting the rhodium-cerium catalyst surface occurs in the presence of reactant gases comprising 0.1-100 mole percent oxygen.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the rhodium-cerium catalyst is preheated to at least about 300° C. prior to the introduction of the liquid organic fuel, wherein the preheating is carried out by spark ignition, addition of a C 1 -C 3 hydrocarbon gas, alcohol, or solvent that comprises oxygen, by external heating, or a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the total residence time of the reactants is between about 0.1 milliseconds and about 500 milliseconds.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reactant liquid organic fuel and oxygen gas are contacted at room temperature and the temperature of the rhodium-cerium catalyst is maintained via the reaction process.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the rhodium-cerium catalyst is supported by a ceramic or metal support, the ceramic optionally comprises alumina, silica, zirconia, or ceria, and the support is in the form of pellets, spheres, grains, mesh, gauze, or foam.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the liquid organic fuel is contacted to the rhodium-cerium catalyst in conjunction with steam or water, to provide a steam-to-carbon ratio of zero to about five.

13. A method comprising directly contacting a carbon and hydrogen-containing liquid organic fuel onto a rhodium-cerium catalyst in the presence of oxygen to produce hydrogen gas and carbon monoxide, wherein the contacting occurs at a temperature above 800° C. to prevent char formation in an amount capable of stopping production of the hydrogen gas and the carbon monoxide gas.