NOVELTY - Carbon containing fuel and water vapor are converted into a reformate gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide by providing ceramic membrane of oxide ceramic having intrinsic and extrinsic oxygen ion vacancies, and contacting water vapor and reformate gas to respective surface of the membrane so that solid state ambipolar diffusion of oxygen ion vacancies and protons across the membrane occurs.    USE - For converting a carbon containing fuel and water vapor into a reformate gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide (claimed).    ADVANTAGE - The process uses dry hydrocarbon fuels in the fuel cell and converts the chemical energy of the fuels directly into electrical energy. It allows ambipolar diffusion without any net current flow because oxygen ion vacancies and protons on oxygen sites (111) both carry positive charge, i.e. protons can move in one direction while oxygen ion vacancies (one oxygen ion vacancy for every two protons) move in the opposite direction without any net charge transport.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Conversion of carbon containing fuel and water vapor (116) into a reformate gas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide (122) and carbon dioxide by providing a ceramic membrane comprising an oxide ceramic having intrinsic and extrinsic oxygen ion vacancies (110), and having first and second surfaces; contacting water vapor with the first surface; and contacting the reformate gas with the second surface, so that solid state ambipolar diffusion of oxygen ion vacancies and protons across the membrane occurs, and ambipolar diffusion produces a net diffusion flux of water molecules (120) through the membrane from the first surface to the second surface. The oxide ceramic is capable of reacting with gaseous water molecules at the first surface by the reversible reaction. The oxide ceramic is capable of producing gaseous water molecules at the second surface by the reversible reaction. The reaction of the water molecules with the carbon containing fuel generates the reformate gas. The chemical activity of water molecules at the first surface is maintained greater than or equal to the chemical activity of water molecules at the second surface. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (a) a fuel cell comprising a ceramic membrane comprising a proton-conducting ceramic electrolyte (112) having a first surface and a second surface; a cathode consisting of metals, metallic alloys, metallic and oxide composites, or mixed conducting oxides, and in direct contact with a portion of the first surface of the membrane and simultaneously in contact with oxygen gas; an anode consisting of metals, metallic alloys, metallic and oxide composites, carbon containing materials, or mixed conducting oxides, and in direct contact with a portion of the second surface of the membrane and simultaneously in contact with a reformate gas generated from a carbon containing fuel; and an external load connecting the anode and the cathode; and    (b) generating electricity by contacting a reformate gas from a carbon containing fuel source with the anode of a fuel cell and contacting oxygen and water vapor with the cathode of a fuel cell, and converting chemical energy in the form of protons with high electrochemical potential into electrical energy by electrochemical oxidation.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a graphical view of the steam permeation reforming.    Oxygen ion vacancies (110)    Oxygen sites (111)    Ceramic electrolyte (112)    Water vapor (116)    Fuel side (118)    Hydrocarbon molecules (120)    Carbon monoxide (122)