Simulation study on the breakup process of kerosene Gel Jet in transverse airflow

Abstract The gel propellant not only inherits the characteristics of liquid propellants, such as high specific impulse, multiple ignition capabilities, and adjustable thrust, but also offers an advantage type of solid propellants, including reduced risk of leakage, long-term storage feasibility, and ease of maintenance. In this study, numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the atomization and mixing process of kerosene gel jets in high-speed crossflows. The study reveals that the jet breakup process primarily involves two forms of breakup: columnar breakup dominated by Rayleigh Taylor’s unstable wave and surface breakup dominated by Kelvin Helmholtz’s unstable wave. These two forms coexist, complement each other, and interact with each other. The numerical simulation of the kerosene gel breakup process provides favorable support for studying its combustion characteristics in the rotating detonation engine.