TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The deoxidizing catalyst is platinum-palladium on alumina catalyst, platinum-rhodium based catalyst, rhodium-palladium alumina catalyst or G-74D. The pre-reforming catalyst is a nickel based catalyst including C11-PR, CRGF, CRG-LH or G-180.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The propane processor unit comprises FCR-HC59 (RTM: Nickel based carbon resistant catalyst) (305). The deoxidizing unit, the propane processor unit and the pre-reforming unit are disposed within a common vessel (202) such that: the fuel feedstock passes through the deoxidizing bed first, then through one of the propane processor bed and the pre-reforming bed, and then through the other of the propane processor bed and the pre-reforming bed; or the fuel feedstock passes through the deoxidizing bed first, then through the propane processor bed, and then through the pre-reforming bed. The deoxidizing unit comprises a deoxidizing bed (204), which comprises a deoxidizing catalyst. The propane processor unit comprises a propane processor bed (301). The pre-reforming unit comprises a pre-reforming bed (206), which comprises a pre-reforming catalyst. The deoxidizing bed, the propane processor bed, and the pre-reforming bed have a volume of 0.7 cubic feet, 0.75 cubic and 1.7 cubic feet, respectively. The space velocity of the fuel feedstock in the deoxidizing bed, propane processor bed and pre-reforming processor bed is 5000-10000 per hour, 1900-10000 per hour and 2000-5000 per hour, respectively. The fuel inlet temperature is 300-450 degrees C. The deoxidizer bed is adapted to operate at 300-600 degrees C, and the propane processor bed and the pre-reforming bed is adapted to operate at 300-540 degrees C. The steam to carbon ratio in the fuel feedstock is 2.9-3.4. The maximum superficial velocity of the fuel feedstock in the pre-reforming unit is no greater than 1.3 feet/second at standard temperature and pressure conditions in order to ensure increased hydrogen back diffusion in the pre-reforming unit so as to maintain the reducing atmosphere in the pre-reforming unit.