Abstract
Using a direct path flux analysis (PFA) method, an original mechanism composed of 50 species and 247 reactions has been reduced to various levels for proper understanding the trade-off between the mechanism size and its prediction capability. Among these new mechanisms of different levels, a skeletal mechanism with 25 species and 94 reactions is identified. Its accuracy is examined by comparing simulation results of propane combustion in shock tube and opposed diffusion flame with those using the original mechanism. Results show that this skeletal mechanism is a reasonable simplification of the original one. Furthermore, the composition of this new reduced mechanism is analyzed in detail.