Some general principles obtained from numerical studies of methane combustion

The results of numerical calculations of methane oxidation are discussed and analyzed. A simple mathematical model of CO oxidation accounts for the superequilibrium concentrations of OH at late times. A similar model for the induction period shows that the equivalent activation energy does not equal that of any one elementary reaction, in agreement with experiment. The reactions during methane consumption are shown to be controlled by a balance between the rates of creation and consumption of radicals. This balance helps explain the importance of C/sub 2/H/sub 6/ formation and allows prediction of the sensitivity of the reaction mechanism to variation of rate constants.