On the Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • This paper deals with a derivation (using a perturbation technique) of an approximation, due to Oberbeck8,9 and Boussinesq,1 to describe the thermal response of linearly viscous fluids that are mechanically incompressible but thermally compressible. The present approach uses a nondimensionalization suggested by Chandrasekhar2 and utilizing the ratio of two characteristic velocities as a measure of smallness, systematically derives the Oberbeck-Boussinesq approximation as a third-order perturbation. In the present approach, the material is subjected to the constraint that the volume change is determined solely by the temperature change in the body and uses a novel approach in deriving the thermodynamical restrictions. Consequently, it is free from the additional assumptions usually added on in earlier works in order to obtain the correct equations.

published proceedings

  • MATHEMATICAL MODELS & METHODS IN APPLIED SCIENCES

altmetric score

  • 2.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Rajagopal, K. R., Ruzicka, M., & Srinivasa, A. R.

citation count

  • 170

complete list of authors

  • Rajagopal, KR||Ruzicka, M||Srinivasa, AR

publication date

  • December 1996