Dynamics of internal jets in the merging of two droplets of unequal sizes
Abstract
The head-on collision, merging and internal mixing dynamics of two unequal-sized droplets were experimentally studied and interpreted, using water, $n$-decane and $n$-tetradecane to identify the distinguishing effects of surface tension and liquid viscosity on the merging and mixing patterns. It is shown that, upon merging of water and $n$-decane droplets, mushroom-like jets of dissimilar characteristics develop within the merged mass for small and large values of the impact Weber number (We), and that such jets are not developed for intermediate values of We. Furthermore, such jet-like mixing patterns were not observed for droplets of $n$-tetradecane, which has smaller surface tension and larger viscosity as compared to water. A regime nomogram relating the Ohnesorge and symmetric Weber numbers is constructed, providing a unified interpretation of the internal mixing patterns. Numerical simulations based on an improved volume-of-fluid method and an adaptive mesh refinement algorithm provide auxiliary diagnoses of the flow fields and the observed phenomena.
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IDT tends to decrease with increasing We at fixed Δ owing to enhanced droplet deformation and mixing.
“Figure 6d shows that IDT tends to decrease with increasing We at fixed Δ owing to the enhanced droplet deformation and mixing.25,57,63”
From Droplet collision of hypergolic propellants (2024) · cites this paper as [25]
The dominant chemical effect over the physical effect of enhanced mixing results in smaller size ratios promoting droplet hypergolic ignition.
“Although increasing Δ tends to enhance droplet mixing 25,57,63 and hence the exothermic liquid-phase reaction, which is crucial for droplet heating, vaporization, and combustion, the dominant chemical effect over its physical effect results in smaller size ratios that promote droplet hypergolic ignition.”
From Droplet collision of hypergolic propellants (2024) · cites this paper as [25]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Tang, C., Zhao, J., Zhang, P., Law, C. K., & Huang, Z.
- Affiliations
- Princeton University (US)
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK)
- State Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow in Power Engineering (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Zhang, Peng
- Law, Chung K.
- Venue
- Journal of Fluid Mechanics
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2016-04-19
- Volume
- 795
- Pages
- 671-689
- ISSN
- 0022-1120 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7645
- OpenAlex
- W2341313584
- Cited by
- 53
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 5.18
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Fluid Mechanics (publishedVersion)
- PolyU Institutional Research Archive (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
- Keywords
- droplet merging, internal mixing, surface tension, liquid viscosity, impact Weber number, Ohnesorge number, n-decane, n-tetradecane, water, volume of fluid method, adaptive mesh refinement
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