Generalizing the Boussinesq approximation to stratified compressible flow

The simplifications required to apply the Boussinesq approximation to compressible flow are compared with those in an incompressible fluid. The larger degree of approximation required to describe mass conservation in a stratified compressible fluid using the Boussinesq continuity equation has led to the development of several different sets of ‘anelastic’ equations that may be regarded as generalizations of the original Boussinesq approximation. These anelastic systems filter sound waves while allowing a more accurate representation of non-acoustic perturbations in compressible flows than can be obtained using the Boussinesq system. The energy conservation properties of several anelastic systems are compared under the assumption that the perturbations of the thermodynamic variables about a hydrostatically balanced reference state are small. The ‘pseudo-incompressible’ system is shown to conserve total kinetic and anelastic dry static energy without requiring modification to any governing equation except the mass continuity equation. In contrast, other energy conservative anelastic systems also require additional approximations in other governing equations. The pseudo-incompressible system includes the effects of temperature changes on the density in the mass conservation equation, whereas this effect is neglected in other anelastic systems. A generalization of the pseudo-incompressible equation is presented and compared with the diagnostic continuity equation for quasi-hydrostatic flow in a transformed coordinate system in which the vertical coordinate is solely a function of pressure. To cite this article: D.R. Durran, A. Arakawa, C. R. Mecanique 335 (2007).     

Joseph Boussinesq and his approximation: a contemporary view

A hundred years ago, in his 1903 volume II of the monograph devoted to ‘Théorie Analytique de la Chaleur’, Joseph Valentin Boussinesq observes that: “The variations of density can be ignored except were they are multiplied by the acceleration of gravity in equation of motion for the vertical component of the velocity vector.” A spectacular consequence of this Boussinesq observation (called, in 1916, by Rayleigh, the ‘Boussinesq approximation’) is the possibility to work with a quasi-incompressible system of coupled dynamic, (Navier) and thermal (Fourier) equations where buoyancy is the main driving force. After a few words on the life of Boussinesq and on his observation, the applicability of this approximation is briefly discussed for various thermal, geophysical, astrophysical and magnetohydrodynamic problems in the framework of ‘Boussinesquian fluid dynamics’. An important part of our contemporary view is devoted to a logical (100 years later) justification of this Boussinesq approximation for a perfect gas and an ideal liquid in the framework of an asymptotic modelling of the full fluid dynamics (Euler and Navier–Stokes–Fourier) equations with especially careful attention given to the validity of this approximation. To cite this article: R.Kh. Zeytounian, C. R. Mecanique 331 (2003).     

An example of entropy balance in natural convection,Part 2: the thermodynamic Boussinesq equations

Numerical simulations of natural convection performed with the usual Boussinesq equations result in unbalanced irreversibility budget. The thermodynamic Boussinesq equations solve this problem, especially because they simulate production of kinetic energy within the fluid through its expansion and contraction. These fluid volume changes, without which natural convection would not occur, also induce heat transfer by piston effect. The piston effect, which appears then as an intrinsic component of buoyancy-induced natural convection, introduces the non-dimensional adiabatic temperature gradient as a control parameter of natural convection. To cite this article: M. Pons, P. Le Quéré, C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Application de l'approximation polytropique à la Simulation Numérique Directe de gaz chaudsApplication of the polytropique approximation to Direct Numerical Simulation of heated gases

As alternative to the usual assumptions of Boussinesq, we propose, for heated gases, a new approximation called polytropic approximation. With this approximation the quantities of corresponding state are related by a polytropic law of exponent χ of which we neglect the variability in space-time derivations in the equations governing the flow considered. As application, we used this new proposition to solve numerically a heated gas flow in an annular cavity of rotor-stator type. We expose here the numerical method and some results of the polytropic approximation with comparison to results of Boussinesq approximations. To cite this article: S. Benjeddou et al., C. R. Mecanique 332 (2003).     

On Boussinesq's paradigm in nonlinear wave propagation

Boussinesq's original derivation of his celebrated equation for surface waves on a fluid layer opened up new horizons that were to yield the concept of the soliton. The present contribution concerns the set of Boussinesq-like equations under the general title of ‘Boussinesq's paradigm’. These are true bi-directional wave equations occurring in many physical instances and sharing analogous properties. The emphasis is placed: (i) on generalized Boussinesq systems that involve higher-order linear dispersion through either additional space derivatives or additional wave operators (so-called double-dispersion equations); and (ii) on the ‘mechanics’ of the most representative localized nonlinear wave solutions. Dissipative cases and two-dimensional generalizations are also considered. To cite this article: C.I. Christov et al., C. R. Mecanique 335 (2007).     

Global structure stability of impact-induced tensile waves in phase-transforming materials

The global structure stability of the impact-induced tensile waves mentioned by Huang （Huang, S. J. Impact-induced tensile waves in a kind of phase-transforming materials. IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics, 76, 847-858 （2011）） is considered. By introducing Riemann invariants, the governing equations of motion are reduced into a 2 ~ 2 diagonally strictly hyperbolic system. Then, with the aid of the theory on the typical free boundary problem and maximally dissipative kinetics, the global structure stability of the impact-induced tensile waves propagating in a phase-transforming material is proved.     

An example of entropy balance in natural convection,Part 1: the usual Boussinesq equations

Numerical simulations of natural convection in cavities performed with the usual Boussinesq equations result in an unbalanced irreversibility budget. Thermodynamic analysis shows that these equations represent a system that exchanges with the surroundings, not only two heat fluxes, but also two fluxes of mechanical energy: an input, that generates the fluid motion, and an output, due to viscous friction. After this analysis, the thermodynamic discrepancies can be explained. To cite this article: M. Pons, P. Le Quéré, C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).     

Stabilisation des couches PML pour les équations d'Euler linéariséesPML stabilization for linearized Euler equations

The perfectly matched layer (PML) is an efficient tool to simulate propagation phenomena in free space on unbounded domain. It seems to be very efficient for Maxwell's equations, but for the linearized Euler equations, it leads to numerical instabilities. In this Note we describe a simple way to gain stability. The method consists in dissipative time perturbations of the split variables. It is illustrated by some convincing numerical tests. To cite this article: J. Métral, O. Vacus, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 347–352.     

Double diffusion,convection de Boussinesq et convection profonde en air atmosphérique pollué ou humideDouble diffusion,Boussinesq convection and deep convection in polluted or moist atmospheric air

We derive the molecular diffusion equations, and we show how the determination of the molecular diffusion coefficients of passive scalars (pollutants or moisture) in the atmospheric air may be performed, in first approximation, by means of data of pressure, temperature and densities in the medium at the rest. These approximations are sufficient in order to write the equations of shallow convection (Boussinesq equations), whatever be the Brunt–Väisälä frequency of the medium (as well as in the troposphere and in the stratosphere). In the case of deep convection, which is possible in the troposphere only, the weakness of the Brunt–Väisälä frequency modifies the molecular diffusion equations, and these equations also modify the equations of convection. More accurate evaluations of the diffusion coefficients must also be made, using, for instance, static datas associated with several temperature distributions. To cite this article: P.-A. Bois, C. R. Mecanique 334 (2006).     

Stability of roll waves in open channel flowsStabilité de trains d'ondes dans un canal découvert

The stability of finite amplitude roll waves that may develop at a liquid free surface in inclined open channels of arbitrary cross-section is studied. In the framework of shallow water theory with turbulent friction the modulation equations for wave series are derived and a nonlinear stability criterion is obtained. To cite this article: A. Boudlal, V.Yu. Liapidevskii, C. R. Mecanique 330 (2002) 291–295.     

Correspondence between de Saint-Venant and Boussinesq. 1: Birth of the Shallow–Water Equations

The Shallow–Water Equations (SWEs), also referred to as the de Saint-Venant equations, constitute the current governing mathematical tool for free-surface water flows. These include, e.g., flood flows in rivers and in urban zones, flows across hydraulic structures as dams or wastewater facilities, flows in the environmental fields, glaciology, or meteorology. Despite this attractiveness, the system of two partial differential equations has an exact mathematical solution only for a limited number of problems of practical relevance.This historical work on the SWEs is based on a correspondence between two 19th-century scientists, de Saint-Venant and Boussinesq. Their well-known papers are thus commented from the point of development of their theory; the input of both scientists is evidenced by their writings, and comments of both to each other that led to what is commonly known as the SWEs. Given the age difference of the two of 45 years, the experienced engineer de Saint-Venant, and the mathematician Boussinesq, two eminent researchers, met to discuss not only problems in hydraulics, but in physics generally. In addition, their correspondence embraced also questions in ethics, religion, history of sciences, and personal news.The results of the SWEs cease to hold if streamline curvature effects dominate; this includes breaking waves, solitary and cnoidal waves, or non-linear waves in general. In most other cases, however, the SWEs perfectly apply to typical flows in engineering practice; they are considered the fundamental system of equations describing open channel flows. This work thus provides a background to its birth, including lots of comments as to its improvement, physical meanings, methods of solution, and a discussion of the results. This paper also deals with the steady flow equations, gives a short account on the main persons mentioned in the Correspondence, and provides a summary of further developments of the SWEs until 1920.     

Buoyancy-affected laminar film condensation

The flow and heat transfer in a laminar condensate flim on an isothermal vertical plate is modelled mathematically. The strict Boussinesq approximation is adopted to account for buoyancy due to local temperature variations within the film. A similarity transformation reduces the governing boundary-layer type equations to a coupled set of ordinary differential equations and the resulting three-parameter twopoint boundary value problem is solved numerically for Prandtl numbers,Pr, ranging from 0.001 to 1000 and Jakob numbers,Ja, between 0.0001 and 1.5. The principal effects of the favourable buoyancy are to reduce the thickness of the condensate film and increase the film velocity at the smooth liquid-vapour interface, whereas the friction and heat transfer at the plate are enhanced. In accordance with the classical Nusselt theory, it is found that the temperature varies nearly linearly across the film. The computed similarity profiles for velocity reveal, however, substantial departures from the parabolic distribution assumed in the simplified Nusselt analysis.     

Baroclinic stability for a family of two‐level,semi‐implicit numerical methods for the 3D shallow water equations

The baroclinic stability of a family of two time‐level, semi‐implicit schemes for the 3D hydrostatic, Boussinesq Navier–Stokes equations (i.e. the shallow water equations), which originate from the TRIM model of Casulli and Cheng (Int. J. Numer. Methods Fluids 1992; 15 :629–648), is examined in a simple 2D horizontal–vertical domain. It is demonstrated that existing mass‐conservative low‐dissipation semi‐implicit methods, which are unconditionally stable in the inviscid limit for barotropic flows, are unstable in the same limit for baroclinic flows. Such methods can be made baroclinically stable when the integrated continuity equation is discretized with a barotropically dissipative backwards Euler scheme. A general family of two‐step predictor‐corrector schemes is proposed that have better theoretical characteristics than existing single‐step schemes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Approximate equations for long water waves

In the first part of this paper the Hamiltonian theory of water waves is used to obtain some equations in local coordinates. These equations are approximations of the Boussinesq type. They are stable with respect to short wave perturbations, e.g. rounding off errors in digital computing. In the second part the relation of Boussinesq equations to Korteweg-de Vries and Benjamin-Bona-Mahony equations is investigated.     

Non-linear wave modulation in a prestressed viscoelastic thin tube filled with an inviscid fluid

In the present work, the propagation of weakly non-linear waves in a prestressed thin viscoelastic tube filled with an incompressible inviscid fluid is studied. Considering that the arteries are initially subjected to a large static transmural pressure P₀ and an axial stretch λ_z and, in the course of blood flow, a finite time-dependent displacement is added to this initial field, the governing non-linear equation of motion in the radial direction is obtained. Using the reductive perturbation technique, the propagation of weakly non-linear, dispersive and dissipative waves is examined and the evolution equations are obtained. Utilizing the same set of governing equations the amplitude modulation of weakly non-linear and dissipative but strongly dispersive waves is examined. The localized travelling wave solution to these field equations are also given.     

Combined forced and natural convection in laminar film flow

A mathematical model for the flow and heat transfer in a gravity-driven liquid film is presented, in which the strict Boussinesq approximation is adopted to account for buoyancy. A similarity transformation reduces the governing equations to a coupled set of ordinary differential equations. The resulting two-parameter problem is solved numerically for Prandtl numbers ranging from 1 to 1000. Favourable buoyancy arises when the temperatureT _w of the isothermal surface is lower than the temperatureT ₀ of the incoming fluid, and the principal effects of the aiding buoyancy are to increase the wall shear and heat transfer rate. For unfavourable buoyancy (T _w>T ₀), the buoyancy force and gravity act in opposite directions and the flow in the film boundary layer decelerates, whereas the friction and heat transfer are reduced. The observed effects of buoyancy diminish appreciably for higher Prandtl numbers.     

The Oberbeck–Boussinesq approximation as a constitutive limit

We derive the usual Oberbeck–Boussinesq approximation as a constitutive limit of the full system describing the motion of an compressible linearly viscous fluid. To this end, the starting system is written, using the Gibbs free energy, in the variables v, θ and p. The Oberbeck–Boussinesq system is then obtained as the thermal expansion coefficient α and the isothermal compressibility coefficient β tend to zero.     

A multi-phase theory for the detonation of granular explosives containing an arbitrary number of solid components

Multiphase continuum models are commonly used to predict the shock, combustion and detonation behavior of granular energetic mixtures containing solid reactants and gaseous products. These models often include phase interaction terms that formally satisfy the strong form of the Second Law of Thermodynamics and provide flexibility in distributing dissipation between phases arising from non-equilibrium phenomena. This work presents a thermodynamically compatible constitutive theory for reactive systems containing an arbitrary number of solid components. The theory represents a rigorous extension of the two-phase theory formulated by Bdzil et al., based on the well-studied Baer–Nunziato model. Forms of the gas–solid and solid–solid interphase sources suggested by general reactions of type A → B are considered, where the combustion processes discussed in Bdzil et al. are treated as a special case. The model energetics are augmented by supplemental evolutionary equations that track local changes in phase temperatures due to dissipative and transport processes allowing for the identification of dominant energetic processes. This capability provides a mean to identify system parameters (e.g., metal particle size and mass fraction in metalized energetic mixtures) which optimize performance metrics. Detonation predictions are given for mixtures of granular HMX and aluminum to demonstrate model features and to highlight the effect of aluminum particle self-heating by oxidation on detonation. Predicted spatial profiles for mechanical fields, and the heating contributions from individual dissipative processes, illustrate how aluminum particle size can affect the coupling of oxidative heating to the explosive reaction zone.     

On the slow motion of a cluster of bubbles under the combined action of gravity and thermocapillarity

The slow migration of N spherical bubbles under combined buoyancy and thermocapillarity effects is investigated by appealing solely to $3N+1$ boundary-integral equations. In addition to the theory and the associated implementation strategy, preliminary numerical results are both presented and discussed for a few clusters involving 2, 3, 4 or 5 bubbles with a special attention paid to the case of rigid configurations. To cite this article: A. Sellier, C. R. Mecanique 333 (2005).