Breakup and vaporization of droplets under locally supersonic conditions

The disruption and vaporization of simulated fuel droplets in an accelerating supersonic flow was examined experimentally in a draw-down supersonic wind tunnel. The droplets achieved supersonic velocities relative to the surrounding air to give relative Mach numbers of up to 1.8 and Weber numbers of up to 300. Mono-disperse, 100 μm-diameter fluid droplets were generated using a droplet-on-demand generator upstream of the tunnel entrance. Direct close-up single- and multiple-exposure imaging was used to examine the features of droplet breakup and to determine the droplet velocities. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging of the disrupting droplets was performed using acetone fluorescence to determine the dispersion of the expelled vapor. Three test liquids were employed: 2-propanol and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether as non-volatile fluids and a 50/50 hexanol-pentane mixture (Hex-Pen 50/50). The vapor pressure of the Hex-Pen 50/50 was sufficiently high to cause the droplet fluid to potentially become superheated in the decreased static pressure of the supersonic stream. The dynamics for 2-propanol and Hex-Pen 50/50 droplets were similar up to the point of disruption, which occurred more rapidly for the more volatile Hex-Pen 50/50. A 1D dynamic droplet model was developed to provide a first estimate of the expected droplet acceleration and velocity. The actual droplet velocities were in reasonable agreement with the model up to the point at which significant droplet disruption and mass loss commenced. The droplet deformation and breakup patterns for these supersonic flow conditions can be classified into four different flow regions characterized by changes in the Weber number with downstream distance as the droplets accelerate, however, those flow regimes and Weber number ranges were different than those seen for droplets disrupting in shock tubes. The disruption patterns were seen to be generally similar for the different fluids, though droplet disruption occurred more rapidly for the more volatile fluid. LIF imaging established the extent of the dispersion of the expelled vapor. Examination of the vapor clouds surrounding the droplets suggests that Hex-Pen 50/50 droplets had a greater rate of vaporization than 2-propanol droplets starting at approximately 2 mm downstream of the nozzle throat, where the air static pressure became lower than the liquid vapor pressure. This suggests that droplet superheating can have an effect on the extent and rate of droplet vaporization under locally supersonic conditions. The degree of vaporization for Hex-Pen 50/50 was approximately 1.3 times greater than that of the non-volatile fluids over all downstream distances in the supersonic flow.