NOVELTY - A reformer for producing purified hydrogen from a pressurized hydrogen rich fuel, has a catalyst bed contained in a catalyst unit having a fuel inlet and a spaced reformed fuel outlet; a hydrogen permeable purifier downstream of the catalyst bed and operable to separate and purify the reformed gas into hydrogen and raffinate; and a heating system for the catalyst bed having a heat source that generates a continuous flow of hot gases.    USE - For producing purified hydrogen from a pressurized hydrogen rich fuel or a hydrogen rich feedstock.    ADVANTAGE - The invention is cost effective both initially and during its operating life, as well as readily adapted for efficient and cost effective servicing. It has a low-pressure drop in the burner air system. It establishes improved heating of the catalyst to produce the free hydrogen and the extraction of catalyst from the catalyst unit. It permits use of a relatively low-pressure air supply, yielding higher energy efficiency. It permits optimizing the heating pattern of the stream over the length of the bed for the internal processing of the feedstock.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A reformer for producing purified hydrogen from a pressurized hydrogen rich fuel, comprises a catalyst bed contained in a catalyst unit having a fuel inlet and a spaced reformed fuel outlet; a hydrogen permeable purifier (18) mounted downstream of the catalyst bed and operable to separate and purify the reformed gas into hydrogen and raffinate; and a heating system for the catalyst bed comprising a heat source that generates a continuous flow of hot gases. The catalyst unit is effective to reform the hydrogen rich fuel and produce reformed gas containing hydrogen upon heating of the catalyst bed. The heat source is directly coupled to the catalyst unit and arranged to pass the hot gases as a continuous flow laterally through the entire length of the catalyst unit between the fuel inlet and the spaced reformed fuel outlet for simultaneous heating of the catalyst bed and the hydrogen rich fuel.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a method of producing hydrogen, comprising reforming a hydrogen rich feedstock by passing the feedstock through the catalyst bed to produce a reformed gas; separating the reformed gas into hydrogen and raffinate; heating the catalyst bed to a desired reaction temperature by passing hot gas from a burner in a continuous flow laterally over the catalyst bed; recycling a portion of the raffinate to the burner to use as fuel for the burner; and recovering the hydrogen.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure is a schematic illustration of a steam reformer unit for producing purified hydrogen coupled to a fuel cell.    Hydrogen permeable purifier (18)    Linear metallic pressure vessel (19)    Housing (36)    Catalytic burner (75)    Flue gas (79)    Air inlet chamber (90)    Exhaust chamber (91)    Heat-transmitting plates (96)