Binary droplet collision at high Weber number

Abstract

By using the techniques developed for generating high-speed droplets, we have systematically investigated binary droplet collision when the Weber number (We) was increased from the range usually tested in previous studies on the order of 10 to a much larger value of about 5100 for water (a droplet at 23 m/s with a diameter of 0.7 mm). Various liquids were also used to explore the effects of viscosity and surface tension. Specifically, beyond the well-known regimes at moderate We's, which exhibited coalescence, separation, and separation followed by satellite droplets, we found different behaviors showing a fingering lamella, separation after fingering, breakup of outer fingers, and prompt splattering into multiple secondary droplets as We was increased. The critical Weber numbers that mark the boundaries between these impact regimes are identified. The specific impact behaviors, such as fingering and prompt splattering or splashing, share essential similarity with those also observed in droplet-surface impacts, whereas substantial variations in the transition boundaries may result from the disparity of the boundary conditions at impacts. To compare the outcomes of both types of collisions, a simple model based on energy conservation was carried out to predict the maximum diameter of an expanding liquid disk for a binary droplet collision. The results oppose the dominance of viscous drag, as proposed by previous studies, as the main deceleration force to effect a Rayleigh-Taylor instability and ensuing periphery fingers, which may further lead to the formations of satellite droplets.