DROP PROPERTIES AFTER SECONDARY BREAKUP

Drop properties during and after secondary breakup in the bag, multimo de and shear breakup regimes were observed for shock-wave-initiated di sturbances in air at normal temperature and pressure. Test liquids inc luded water, n-heptane, ethyl alcohol and glycerol mixtures to yield W eber numbers of 15-600, Ohnesorge numbers of 0.0025-0.039, liquid/gas density ratios of 579-985 and Reynolds numbers of 1060-15080. Measurem ents included pulsed shadowgraphy and double-pulsed holography to find drop sizes and velocities after breakup. Drop size distributions afte r breakup satisfied Simmons' universal root normal distribution in all three breakup regimes, after removing the core (or drop-forming) drop from the drop population for shear breakup. The size and velocity of the core drop after shear breakup was correlated separately based on t he observation that the end of drop stripping corresponded to a consta nt Eotvos number. The relative velocities of the drop liquid were sign ificantly reduced during secondary breakup, due both to the large drag coefficients caused by drop deformation and the reduced relaxation ti mes of smaller drops. These effects were correlated successfully based on a simplified phenomenological theory.