The objective of this work is to investigate the possibility of using membrane technology to simplify the conventional H-2 producing process without membranes. For this purpose, two other processes making use of membranes are compared with the conventional process. The major units in the three integrated processes have been simulated. The reactor simulations are based on the kinetics of the reactions and the mechanism of membrane permeation. On the basis of the simulation results, the design of the three integrated processes has been carried out. Each process has been optimized in terms of heat recovery and heat integration. For the given inlet conditions and methane conversion, the effect of the H-2 utilization ratio eta(f) (the percentage of the converted H-2 to all the H-2 fed into the fuel cell) on the overall exergy efficiency of the conventional process has been presented. The influence of H-2 separation ratio sigma (the mole rate of separated H-2 to the mole rates of useful products (CO + H-2) produced) on the overall exergy efficiencies of the two membrane processes has been investigated. For the given inlet conditions and methane conversion, at a given H-2 separation ratio or H-2 utilization ratio, the comparison results indicate that the overall exergy efficiencies of the membrane processes are about 3-5% higher than that of the conventional process. The exergy balance analysis shows that the work loss of the three processes mainly occurs in the fuel cells. Other major contributors are the catalytic burner, the CPO reactors, and the exhaust. Because of the work lost through each process, the overall exergy efficiencies of the three processes are not higher than 37%, when the H-2 utilization ratio (for the conventional process) and H-2 separation ratio (for the two membrane processes) are varied from 75% to 85%, respectively.