The performance of two reaction rate models based on the laminar flamelet concept have been examined by calculating the behaviour of turbulent flame deflagration inside a semi-confined explosion tube. The models formulate the mean rate of reaction as a function of a transport equation for the flamelet surface density. The difference in the models is in modelling the source/sink terms of the flamelet surface density transport equation. The models are validated using laser diagnostics of flame deflagration in methane-air flammable mixture. The predictions are compared with experimental results for propagation, pressure history and flame speed. Sensitivity to cross-flow effects are investigated through comparison between two- and three-dimensional calculations. The numerically simulated results show that experimental trends are well reproduced by both models. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.