NOVELTY - Generation of hydrogen includes reforming hydrocarbon fuel in a first catalyst bed comprising reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material, monitoring the amount of hydrogen or impurity in the reformate, calcining the carbon dioxide fixing material within the first catalyst bed, and hydrating calcined carbon dioxide fixing material with steam when the monitored amount of hydrogen or impurity is at predetermined level.    USE - For generating hydrogen useful in aerospace application, food production, and oil and gas production and refining.    ADVANTAGE - The inventive method simplifies production of highly pure hydrogen by incorporating carbon dioxide fixing material into the initial hydrocarbon conversion process.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Generation of hydrogen includes reforming a hydrocarbon fuel in a first catalyst bed comprising reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material at a reforming temperature to produce a reformate comprising hydrogen and at least one impurity (e.g. carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and/or unreacted hydrocarbon fuel), with the carbon dioxide fixing material fixing portion(s) of carbon dioxide in the reformate to produce hydrogen-rich reformate and fixed carbon dioxide; monitoring the amount of hydrogen or impurity in the reformate; calcining the carbon dioxide fixing material within the first catalyst bed at a calcination temperature to release the fixed carbon dioxide; and hydrating the calcined carbon dioxide fixing material with steam when the monitored amount of hydrogen or impurity in the reformate is at a predetermined level.    An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is also included for a method of continuously converting hydrocarbon fuel to hydrogen-rich reformate by reforming hydrocarbon fuel in a first catalyst bed comprising reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material at a reforming temperature to produce a hydrogen-rich reformate, with the carbon dioxide fixing material fixing portion(s) of carbon dioxide in the hydrogen-rich reformate to produce hydrogen-rich reformate and fixed carbon dioxide; calcining carbon dioxide fixing material in a second catalyst bed comprising reforming catalyst and carbon dioxide fixing material by heating the carbon dioxide fixing material to a calcination temperature above the reforming temperature; and hydrating the calcined carbon dioxide fixing material in the second catalyst bed with steam at a hydration temperature below the reforming temperature to produce regenerated carbon dioxide fixing material. Hydrocarbon fuel is reformed in the first catalyst bed while the carbon dioxide fixing material is hydrated in the second catalyst bed.