NOVELTY - Hydrocarbon fuels to electricity and hydrogen are converted by producing a conditioned fuel gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide; providing the conditioned fuel to an anode of a high temperature electrochemical generator having a cathode chamber receiving oxygen; reacting steam in oxidant reaction of iron in a second bed to generate iron oxide and hydrogen; and interchanging the first bed with the second bed.    USE - For converting hydrocarbon fuels to electricity and hydrogen.    ADVANTAGE - The inventive method generates hydrogen and electricity with great flexibility. It provides a higher efficiency over conventional methods because it integrates hydrogen production with fuel cell operation. As the steam requirement in the inventive method is lower, fuel dilution by nitrogen is avoided. The inventive method allows dynamic adjustment to the relative amounts of hydrogen and electricity output. It imposes a lesser hydrogen purification or separation requirement because the hydrogen produced is almost pure. The combined production of fuel cell and fuel processing potentially reduces capital cost relative to the system having independent fuel cell and fuel processor (101).    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Conversion of hydrocarbon fuels to electricity and hydrogen includes reacting a hydrogen gas in a reduction reaction of iron oxide in a first bed to produce a conditioned fuel gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide; providing the conditioned fuel (104) to an anode of a high temperature electrochemical generator having a cathode chamber receiving oxygen, where the generator reacts the conditioned fuel with the oxygen to generate electricity in an electrochemical process; providing steam; reacting the steam in oxidant reaction of iron in a second bed to generate iron oxide and hydrogen; and interchanging the first bed with the second bed.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a system for converting hydrocarbon fuels to electricity and hydrogen, comprising a hydrocarbon gas source; a first bed for carrying out a reduction reaction of iron oxide using hydrocarbon gas from the hydrocarbon gas source, to provide a conditioned fuel gas containing hydrogen and carbon monoxide; a high temperature electrochemical generator having an anode and a cathode, receiving the conditioned fuel at the anode, receiving oxygen at the cathode, and generating electricity in an electrochemical process by reacting the conditioned fuel with the oxygen; a steam source; and a second bed for carrying out an oxidation reaction of iron with steam from the steam source to generate iron oxide and hydrogen.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows schematically a bed of iron oxide being reduced and a bed of iron being oxidized to provide a continuous supply of conditioned fuel to a fuel cell and a supply of hydrogen for storage.    Fuel processor (101)    Conditioned fuel (104)