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A process for generating electricity from a fuel cell includes generating a hydrogen-rich gas as the fuel for the fuel cell by treating a hydrocarbon feed, which may be a normally liquid feed, in an autothermal reformer utilizing a first monolithic catalyst zone having palladium and platinum catalyt

A process for generating electricity from a fuel cell includes generating a hydrogen-rich gas as the fuel for the fuel cell by treating a hydrocarbon feed, which may be a normally liquid feed, in an autothermal reformer utilizing a first monolithic catalyst zone having palladium and platinum catalytic components therein and a second, platinum group metal steam reforming catalyst. Air is used as the oxidant in the hydrocarbon reforming zone and a low oxygen to carbon ratio is maintained to control the amount of dilution of the hydrogen-rich gas with nitrogen of the air without sustaining an insupportable amount of carbon deposition on the catalyst. Anode vent gas may be utilized as the fuel to preheat the inlet stream to the reformer. The fuel cell and the reformer are preferably operated at elevated pressures, up to about a pressure of 150 psia for the fuel cell.

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A process for generating electricity from a fuel cell means, said fuel cell means comprising a stack of anodes and cathodes and having an anode side and a cathode side, each side dimensioned and configured for the passage of respective gas streams therethrough, said fuel cell means being fueled by a

A process for generating electricity from a fuel cell means, said fuel cell means comprising a stack of anodes and cathodes and having an anode side and a cathode side, each side dimensioned and configured for the passage of respective gas streams therethrough, said fuel cell means being fueled by a hydrogen-rich gas derived by treating a hydrocarbon feed in a reformer having first and second catalyst zones as defined below, the process comprising: (a) preheating an inlet stream comprising a hydrocarbon feed, H2O and air to a preheat temperature sufficiently high to initiate catalytic oxidation of said hydrocarbon feed as defined below; (b) introducing the preheated inlet stream into the first catalyst zone comprising a monolithic body having a plurality of gas flow passages extending therethrough and containing a catalytically effective amount of palladium and platinum catalytic components dispersed therein, the amount of hydrocarbon feed, H2O and air introduced into said first catalyst zone being controlled to maintain an H2 O to C ratio of from at least about 0.5 to about 5 and an O2 to C ratio of from about 0.3 to 0.4 in said inlet stream; (c) contacting the preheated inlet stream within said first catalyst zone with said palladium and platinum catalytic components to initiate and sustain therein catalytic oxidation of said hydrocarbon feed to produce hydrogen and carbon oxides therefrom, the temperature of at least a portion of said monolithic body being at least about 250°F. (139°C.) greater than the temperature of said inlet stream, and oxidizing in said first catalyst zone a quantity, less than all, of said hydrocarbon feed, which quantity is sufficient (i) to attain a temperature within said first catalyst zone sufficiently high to crack substantially all unoxidized C5 or heavier hydrocarbons, if any, therein to C1 to C4 hydrocarbons, and (ii) to heat such first zone effluent to a elevated temperature high enough to catalytcally steam reform, within a second catalyst zone defined below, the hydrocarbon remaining in such first zone effluent without supplying external heat thereto; (d) passing the first zone effluent, while still at an elevated temperature, from said first catalyst zone to the second catalyst zone containing a platinum group metal steam reforming catalyst therein, and contacting the first zone effluent in said second catalyst zone with said steam reforming catalyst to react hydrocarbons therein with H2O to produce hydrogen and carbon oxides therefrom; (e) withdrawing the effluent of said secon catalyst zone as a hydogen-rich gas and passing said hydrogen-rich gas to the anode side of said fuel cell means; (f) introducing an air stream to the cathode side side of said fuel cell means; and (g) operating said fuel cell means to generate therefrom output electricity, a hydrogen-containing anode vent gas, and a cathode vent gas.