Development and Validation of a Reduced Chemical Kinetic Model for Methanol Oxidation

Following the analysis of the reactive routine of methanol oxidation, a new reduced chemical kinetic mechanism has been developed for investigation of methanol oxidation. The reduced model involves 17 species undergoing 40 reactions and has been validated against a series of experimental measurements. Experimental data from shock tubes, flow reactors, and static reactors showed that, when the temperature is between 823 and 2180 K, the pressure is between 0.005 and 2.0 MPa, and the equivalence ratio is between 0.2 and 2.6, the proposed mechanism can predict the methanol oxidation process quite well. The premixed laminar flame speeds and ignition delay times computed by this mechanism have demonstrated good agreement with the experimental data as well. Moreover, the reactive intermediates and radicals in static reactors, flow reactors, and premixed laminar flames can also been predicted very well, using this reduced mechanism. Compared with other comprehensive mechanisms, the reduced model is validated by more experimental measurements and a large number of reaction steps involved in the base mechanism have been markedly simplified, while its essential features remain.