View Video Presentation: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0575.vid

The high thermodynamic efficiency of detonation combustion compared to conventional deflagration combustion has been the driving force behind recent Rotating Detonation Engines (RDEs) investigation for aerospace propulsion. However, most detonation-based studies have explored gaseous reactants due to the complexity of testing and analyzing liquid reactant-based detonations even though liquid fuel will be primarily used in these engines due to their high energy density content. This study explores the multiscale breakup dynamics of an RP-2 droplet interaction with two distinct modes of compressed region systems, both shock and detonation, to understand the deformation and atomization of droplets due to these modes. Additionally, image processing was used to quantify the scale of deformation and area change for both cases. The research found that detonation promoted slightly less deformation compared to shock cases, as the reaction increased the rate of atomization of the liquid RP-2.