TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Component: The separation assembly includes:(a) a fuel vaporizer for generating a vaporized and superheated fuel stream from incoming distillate fuel;(b) a catalytic cracking reactor for receiving the fuel stream from the fuel vaporizer and selectively cracking an aliphatic content of the fuel stream to light hydrocarbon gases while converting any organosulfur species to hydrogen sulfide; and(c) a gas-liquid separator receiving and separating an output from the cracking reactor into a gas stream directed to the desulfurization and a condensed liquid stream directed to the combustion assembly.A fractionater receives the vaporized and superheated fuel stream and separates the fuel stream into a heavy liquid residue stream and a light vapor stream.The desulfurization assembly includes a high temperature adsorber for conducting a first stage of hydrogen sulfide adsorption on the gas stream to produce a partially desulfurized gas stream; and a low temperature adsorber for conducting a second stage of hydrogen sulfide adsorption on partially desulfurized gas stream.The steam reforming assembly includes a steam generator for producing a steam stream; and a catalytic steam reforming reactor for receiving the steam stream and a desulfurized hydrocarbon gas stream from the desulfurizing assembly, and for generating a product stream that is rich in hydrogen.A hydrogen purifier is coupled to the catalytic steam reforming reactor for separating the product stream into a hydrogen-rich product stream and a hydrogen-depleted reject stream. A water recovery component is coupled to the catalytic steam reforming reactor for recovering excess steam and directing such excess steam to the steam generator.The combustion assembly includes a combustion fuel reservoir coupled to the separation assembly for receiving the condensed liquid stream; and a combustion reactor for combusting a mixture of fuel from the fuel reservoir and an air feed stream to provide heat to the separation assembly for the vaporization and superheating by the vaporizer and for the catalytic cracking by the cracking reactor.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Component: The cracking reactor includes a catalyst comprising manganese on alumina with 10-15 wt.% loading. The combustion reactor includes a catalyst of copper/potassium /vanadium on alumina with 2-20 wt.% loading.