NOVELTY - A feedstock is reformed by combusting a portion of an anode waste gas stream withdrawn from a fuel cell to provide a first combustion effluent stream or to reheat a cooled combustion waste gas.    USE - For reforming feedstocks in fuel processor and fuel cell systems useful for converting combustible fuel such as methane into a hydrogen-rich fuel for use in a fuel cell.    ADVANTAGE - The invention improves stability of operation, simplifies control, and improves the heat recovery. It provides a simple solution to the problem of balancing energy demand with fluctuating anode waste gas heating value without requiring exotic materials of construction in the reforming zone to cope with high reforming temperatures and rapid temperatures swings. It further provides a simple, direct control system for adjusting the reforming temperature which is based on the rate of air supplied to the combustion zone. It does not require advanced control methods or exotic flame temperature measurement methods. The resulting process represents an economical and reliable integration scheme for operating a fuel processor in combination with a fuel cell for the generation of electricity.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Reforming a feedstock in the presence of steam in a reforming zone in connection with a fuel cell comprises (a) passing the feedstock and steam to the reforming zone to produce a reformate stream comprising hydrogen; (b) partially heating the reforming zone by indirect heat exchange with a first combustion effluent stream to provide a cooled first combustion effluent stream; (c) reheating the cooled first combustion effluent stream combusting a portion of a combustible gas stream with the cooled first combustion effluent stream to provide a second combustion effluent stream; (d) further heating the reforming zone by indirect heat exchange with the second combustion effluent stream; and (e) combusting a portion of an anode waste gas stream withdrawn from the fuel cell to provide the first combustion effluent stream or to reheat the cooled combustion waste gas.