Patent ID: 7285350

Claim:
A high temperature fuel cell system comprising an anode channel, an anode inlet and an anode outlet, a first anode channel portion proximal to the anode inlet, a second anode channel portion proximal to the anode outlet, and a gas separation means operable to enrich a hydrogen gas component of an anode exhaust gas exiting the anode outlet to produce a first product gas enriched in the said hydrogen gas component such that at least a portion of the first product gas enriched in the hydrogen gas component can be provided as a portion of a fuel mixture supplied to the anode inlet, wherein; the first anode channel portion comprises an anode material that is resistant to carbon deposition and active for direct oxidation of hydrogen, at least one hydrocarbon fuel or mixtures thereof; the second anode channel portion comprises an anode material that is catalytically active for steam reforming of at least one hydrocarbon; and the fuel mixture comprises steam, hydrogen and optionally at least one hydrocarbon fuel, wherein steam and hydrogen are present in proportions of no more than 1.5 moles of steam per mole of hydrogen or the molar ratio of steam to hydrocarbon fuel in the mixture is no greater than 1.5 to 1.