Development and testing of a comprehensive chemical mechanism for the oxidation of methane

A comprehensive chemical mechanism to describe the oxidation of methane has been developed, consisting of 351 irreversible reactions of 37 species. The mechanism also accounts for the oxidation kinetics of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, ethane, and ethene in flames and homogeneous ignition systems in a wide concentration range. It has been tested against a variety of experimental measurements of laminar flame velocities, laminar flame species profiles, and ignition delay times. The highest sensitivity reactions of the mechanism are discussed in detail and compared with the same reactions in the GRI, Chevalier, and Konnov mechanisms. Similarities and differences of the four mechanisms are discussed. The mechanism is available on the Internet as a fully documented CHEMKIN data file at the address http://www.chem.leeds.ac.uk/Combustion/Combustion.html. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 513–538, 2001