Boussinesq approximation


Boussinesq approximation

[′bü·si′nesk ə‚präk·sə′mā·shən] (fluid mechanics) The assumption (frequently used in the theory of convection) that the fluid is incompressible except insofar as the thermal expansion produces a buoyancy, represented by a term g α T, where g is the acceleration of gravity, α is the coefficient of thermal expansion, and T is the perturbation temperature.