Timescales and Statistics of Shock-induced Droplet Breakup

Detonation-based propulsion devices, such as rotating detonation engines (RDEs), must be able to leverage the higher energy densities of liquid fuels in order for them to be utilized in practical contexts. This necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the physical processes and timescales that dictate the shock-induced breakup of liquid droplets. These processes are difficult to probe and quantify experimentally, often limiting measurements to macroscopic properties. Here, fundamental mechanisms in such interactions are elucidated through detailed numerical simulation of Mach 2 and 3 shock waves interacting with 100 $μ$m water droplets. Using a thermodynamically consistent two-phase formulation with adaptive mesh refinement, the simulations capture droplet surface instabilities and atomization into secondary droplets in great detail. The results show that droplet breakup occurs through a coupled multi-stage process, including droplet flattening, formation of surface instabilities and piercing, and the shedding of secondary droplets from the ligaments of the deformed primary droplet. When considering the dimensionless timescale of Ranger and Nicholls ($τ$), these processes occur at similar rates for the different shock strengths. The PDFs for the Sauter mean diameters of secondary droplets are bimodal log-normal distributions at $τ=2$. Modest differences in the degree and rate of liquid mass transfer into droplets less than 5 $μ$m in diameter are hypothesized to partially derive from differences in droplet surface piercing modes. These results are illustrative of the complex multi-scale processes driving droplet breakup and have implications for the ability of shocks to effectively process liquid fuels.