Proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell systems having temperature swing reforming

A method for producing electrical energy from a proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell having an anode and cathode, said method comprising:

• (a) reforming a hydrocarbon containing feed with steam in a cyclic reforming and regeneration process comprising:
• i. introducing the feed and steam through a first zone of a reactor containing bed packing material and a reforming catalyst at a space velocity of at least 500 hr-1 under reforming conditions;
• ii. passing at least a portion of the product of step i through a second zone of the reactor containing bed packing material and transferring heat from the product to the packing material;
• iii. removing substantially all the product from the second zone said product comprising a syngas enriched in hydrogen,
• iv. introducing an oxygen containing gas into the second zone and combusting the gas and a fuel in a region proximate to an interface between the first and second zone to produce heat and a combustion product and transferring heat of the combusting to the bed packing material of the first zone,
• v. removing substantially all of the combustion product from the first zone.
• (b) Supplying said reform product from step iii to an anode region a proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cell to produce electricity.
• (c) Supplying at least a portion of effluent from the fuel cell cathode to step i of the reforming process.