Direct electrochemical oxidation and internal reformation are attractive because of the possibility of operating the SOFC on hydrocarbon fuels without an external reformer. Reforming reactions are endothermic and therefore, internal reforming has been considered as a potential approach for stack cooling/thermal management. However, complete internal reforming has a number of practical issues (e.g., optimization of endothermic reforming reactions along with exothermic electrochemical reactions at the anode). Thus, certain concepts such as pre-reforming (part of hydrocarbons is reformed in an external fuel processor and the rest is internally reformed) have been advanced.