Transport and dynamics of liquid oxygen droplets in supercritical hydrogen streams

The transport and dynamics of an isolated liquid oxygen (LOX) droplet in a supercritical hydrogen stream has been numerically studied based on the complete conservation equations in axisymmetric coordinates. The approach employs a unified treatment of general fluid thermodynamics and transport, and accommodates rapid variations of fluid properties in the transcritical regime. Surface tension of the droplet is ignored in consistency with the supercritical thermodynamic condition. The analysis allows for a systematic investigation into droplet behaviour over broad ranges of fluid thermodynamic states and ambient flow conditions. Detailed flow structures and transport phenomena are examined to reveal various key mechanisms underlying droplet vaporization in a supercritical forced convective environment. In addition, correlations of droplet lifetime and drag coefficient are established in terms of fluid properties, pressure, and free-stream Reynolds number.