Transient growth of droplet instabilities in a stream.

Droplet deformation is the first stage of all aerodynamically induced-breakups, considerably affecting the characteristics of the atomization. In the present study, using an adaptive volume of fluid method, two and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations have been performed to understand droplet deformation. A high Reynolds number and a range of relatively high Weber numbers are chosen, addressing the shear breakup of droplets in a stream. The study is focused on the initiation and growth of instabilities over the droplet. The role of Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities in wave formation and azimuthal transverse modulation are shown and the obtained results for the most amplified wave-numbers are compared with instability theories for zero and non-zero vorticity layers. The present results for the most amplified wave-numbers and deformation topologies are in good agreement with the previous experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]