NOVELTY - A compact fuel processor comprises a container having a bottom and vertical sides; a removable top for the container; connected process units positioned in a spiraling geometry within the container; and a ceramic casting that fills the void space inside the container.    USE - The invention is used for converting hydrocarbon fuel (F, F'), e.g., natural gas, methane, ethane, propane, butane, naphtha, gasoline, diesel fuel or alcohols, e.g., methanol, ethanol or propanol to hydrogen rich gas (H) used for feed to a fuel cell. The hydrogen rich gas is used for storage in a metal hydride storage system, compressed hydrogen storage or liquefied hydrogen storage (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The invention converted hydrogen rich gas has high volumetric energy density and is easy to store and transport than the hydrocarbon fuels currently used.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A compact fuel processor comprises a container having a bottom and vertical sides; a removable top for the container; connected process units positioned in a spiraling geometry within the container; and a ceramic casting that fills the void space inside the container. The removable top comprises a manifold. The connected process units form a channel through the ceramic casting. They also comprises an autothermal or steam reforming catalyst bed; a first heat exchanger (200, 206, 210, 214) positioned adjacent to the autothermal reforming catalyst bed (212); a desulfurization agent bed positioned adjacent to the first heat exchanger; a second heat exchanger bed positioned adjacent to the desulfurization agent bed; a water gas shift catalyst bed (202) positioned adjacent to the water gas shift catalyst bed; and a carbon monoxide (CO2) oxidation catalyst bed (204) positioned adjacent to the third heat exchanger. An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a method for converting hydrocarbon fuel to a hydrogen rich gas comprising providing a fuel processor comprising the above invention; preheating the hydrocarbon fuel in the tube side of the first, second or third heat exchanger; reforming the preheated hydrocarbon fuel in the autothermal or steam reforming catalyst bead to produce a first hydrogen product; removing the sulfur compounds from the first hydrogen product in the desulfurization agent bed to produce a second hydrogen product; removing CO2 from the second hydrogen product in the water gas shift catalyst bed to produce a third hydrogen product; introducing a oxygen-containing gas to the third hydrogen product to produce a fourth hydrogen product; and oxidizing the fourth hydrogen product to product a hydrogen rich gas that is free of CO2.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure depicts a box-shaped compact fuel processor.    Heat exchanger (200, 206, 210, 214)    Water gas shift catalyst bed (202)    Oxidation catalyst bed (204)    Autothermal reforming catalyst bed (212)    Hydrocarbon fuel (F, F')    Hydrogen rich gas (H)