Micro-explosion of a two-component droplet: How the initial temperature of the water core affects the breakup conditions and outcomes

Abstract The micro-explosion of two-component fuel droplets (water and rapeseed oil) are investigated with a variable initial temperature (273, 300, and 353 K) of the noncombustible component. We record the threshold heating temperatures sufficient for the micro-explosive breakup, dispersion delay times, as well as the outcomes of this process. According to the findings, the greater the difference between the initial temperatures of the water core and combustible envelope, the shorter the delay until the micro-explosion. With a decrease in the initial water temperature to the ice melting point, we observe the minimum heating delays until micro-explosion. The average size of child droplets becomes 80–90% smaller if we reduce the initial water temperature from 353 to 273 K, if the relative water concentration in a fuel droplet is less than 30 vol%. The micro-explosive breakup of two-component droplets can increase the liquid surface area by 8–12 times.