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An upward volume flux $Q$ and a downward turbulent buoyancy transport $d^4(G_z{)}^{3/2}$ balance in a steady reactor. Matching $G=G_z=0$ below $-H$ gives $QG=d^4(G_z{)}^{3/2}$. Integrating yields the cubic profile above the front. If downward source buoyancy flux is $B_s$, then $H=3d^{8/3}{B}_s^{1/3}/Q$. The corresponding eddy diffusivity is $K=Q(z+H)/(3d^2)$. All these prefactors use the same area and mixing-length normalization; an actual cross-sectional area $S$ replaces the denominator in $K$ by $3S$.

For positive source fluxes and positive constant buoyancy flux, the plume flux-balance invariant has a finite constant while $Q$ grows without bound. Dividing by $Q^2$ makes the source imbalance vanish relatively. The balances then give $Q\sim (6\alpha /5)(9\alpha F/10{)}^{1/3}{z}^{5/3}$ and $M\sim (9\alpha F/10{)}^{2/3}{z}^{4/3}$. This attraction concerns relative similarity and does not assert that different finite sources share the same virtual origin.

A steady top-hat plume model supplied with kinematic buoyancy flux $f_0>0$ but zero source volume flux and momentum flux hasThe Batchelor entrainment hypothesis and momentum balance yield these constants. Its Froude number satisfies $w^2/(g^{\prime }b)=5/(8\alpha )$. The Boussinesq approximation requires $g^{\prime }/g\ll 1$ and therefore fails at the ideal point source itself.

With common factors of $\pi$ removed, steady kinematic fluxes satisfy $Q_z=2\alpha \sqrt{M}$, $M_z=FQ/M$ and $F_z=-N^{2}Q$. The Batchelor entrainment hypothesis supplies volume, the integrated buoyancy force supplies momentum, and the environmental mass density gradient reduces buoyancy flux. This uses the Boussinesq approximation.

For a slender porous thermal plume, Darcy law gives $w=\beta (T-T_0)$, with $\beta =Kg\alpha /\nu$. If $C_h={\rho }_0{c}_p$ and $F_h=C_h\int w(T-T_0)dx$ is the conserved excess convective heat flux per span, then the kinematic momentum flux is $M=\int w^{2}dx=\beta F_h/C_h$, and the buoyancy flux is $B=\int g\alpha (T-T_0)wdx=g\alpha F_h/C_h$. The hyperbolic-secant porous plume profile has $Q=(36\kappa Mz{)}^{1/3}$. Multiplication of $Q$ and $M$ by ${\rho }_0$ gives physical mass flux and the density-weighted Darcy second moment. Intrinsic pore-velocity momentum flux instead has an additional inverse-porosity factor. Momentum conservation here follows from the heat/velocity proportionality, not from an inertia balance: porous drag balances buoyancy locally.

For steady flow with entrainment coefficient $E$, bottom-drag coefficient $c$ and slope angle $\theta$, a constant buoyancy flux $B$ gives $h=h_0+Ex$, $g^{\prime }=B/(uh)$ and $u^3=B(\sin \theta -E\cos \theta /2)/(c+E)$. The half factor comes from hydrostatic pressure, while the denominator includes both bed drag and acceleration of entrained fluid.

At steady state, the displacement-ventilation interface lies where the total plume volume flux equals the imposed ventilation flux. For one triangular-profile wall line plume with kinematic buoyancy flux $B_0$, entrainment coefficient $\alpha$, and ventilation flux $A$ per unit span,

The local meridional eddy buoyancy flux is the covariance of disturbance meridional velocity with disturbance buoyancy. In a Boussinesq approximation, $b^{\prime }=-g{\rho }^{\prime }/{\rho }_0$. This is a local transport density, distinct from a plume's cross-section-integrated buoyancy flux. In the transformed Eulerian mean, division by the background buoyancy frequency squared gives an eddy-induced meridional overturning streamfunction.

A filling box model describes a turbulent plume rising through a confined fluid and spreading beneath its ceiling. Fluid entrainment transfers initially unmodified ambient fluid into the plume; the discharged fluid forms a descending filling-box first front. A maintained heat source can have negligible source volume flux while maintaining nonzero buoyancy flux. A finite injected fluid flux requires an equal exhaust if the container volume is fixed.

For a merged pair held at the original velocity and reduced gravity, pure plume balance requires the original individual radius, not the larger area-preserving radius. The required pure area is half the combined area. Shrinking to that area at unchanged velocity and reduced gravity would halve volume, momentum and buoyancy fluxes, contradicting conservation of the merged fluxes. A conservative merger must change its properties or begin away from pure balance.

A forced plume has both imposed momentum flux and positive buoyancy flux. Its near-source region behaves like a jet, while its far field approaches a pure plume. The crossover is measured by a jet length.

For source kinematic momentum flux $m_0$ and buoyancy flux $f_0>0$, dimensional analysis gives $L_J=m_0^{3/4}/f_0^{1/2}$. Under constant Batchelor entrainment, the actual turning length also contains an entrainment coefficient factor of order ${\alpha }^{-1/2}$.

With zero source volume flux and zero buoyancy flux but positive source momentum flux, the axisymmetric top-hat plume model reduces to a turbulent round jet. For full-cross-section kinematic fluxes, put $c=2{\alpha }_e\sqrt{\pi }$. Entrainment gives $Q^{\prime }=c\sqrt{M}$, while momentum conservation gives $M=M_0$. Hence $Q=c\sqrt{M_0}z$, speed $w=\sqrt{M_0}/(cz)$ and radius $r=cz/\sqrt{\pi }$. A finite source flux replaces $z$ by $z+Q_0/(c\sqrt{M_0})$. The ideal zero-flux source has singular speed and is a far-field model, not a finite nozzle.

Dividing the mass flux, momentum flux, and density-weighted buoyancy flux by ambient mass density gives the kinematic fluxes $q=\pi b^{2}V$, $m=\pi b^2{V}^2$, and $f=\pi b^{2}Vg({\rho }_0-\rho )/{\rho }_0$. This convention makes dimensional similarity solutions independent of the arbitrary ambient density unit.

Suppose $n$ independent axisymmetric pure plumes share total buoyancy flux $B$ equally, have negligible source volume flux, and are supplied with a separate ambient ventilation flux $F$ at floor level. Their combined flux is $P(h)=\lambda n^{2/3}{B}^{1/3}{h}^{5/3}$. Volume conservation at a steady displacement-ventilation interface height and buoyancy flux conservation giveA positive two-layer state needs $0<h_{\ast }<H$, sources small relative to $h_{\ast }$, and plumes sufficiently separated to remain independent. Splitting the sources increases total fluid entrainment and reduces the interface height by $n^{-2/5}$. A finite source flux cannot simultaneously be neglected and supply all the replacement air; no steady displacement layer without ambient supply explains this restriction.

A constant surviving buoyancy flux sets the amplitudes of a pure plume: $Q\propto F^{1/3}$ and $M\propto F^{2/3}$. Relative-flux perturbations have the neutral ratio $(\delta Q/Q,\delta M/M,\delta F/F)\propto (1,2,3)$. This is the zero-eigenvalue limit of growing mode of power-law plume similarity; nonzero endpoint stratification can still create cumulative logarithmic flux loss.

For a turbulent plume in a homogeneous ambient of density ${\rho }_0$, define actual sectional mass flux, momentum flux and density-weighted buoyancy flux by $Q=\pi b^2\rho w$, $M=\pi b^2\rho w^2$ and $F=\pi b^{2}wg({\rho }_0-\rho )$. With non-Boussinesq Batchelor entrainment $v_e=\alpha w\sqrt{\rho /{\rho }_0}$, their balances areHere $Q^2/M$ is sectional mass, $QF/M$ is sectional density-deficit buoyancy, and the entrained ambient initially has zero vertical momentum. The last equation follows by subtracting mass conservation from ${\rho }_0$ times volume conservation. Scase, Caulfield, Dalziel and Hunt's time-dependent plume model derives the equivalent system with the common factor $\pi$ suppressed.

For a rising light plume use $g^{\prime }=g(\rho -{\rho }_p)/{\rho }_0>0$ in the Boussinesq approximation, with ambient density as the inertial reference. The full cross-sectional kinematic volume flux, momentum flux and buoyancy flux of a top-hat plume areHere momentum flux per unit reference density is meant, not momentum per unit volume. The Batchelor entrainment hypothesis says ambient fluid crosses the plume edge at mean inward speed $\alpha w$, where $\alpha$ is the dimensionless entrainment coefficient. Volume added per unit height is $2\pi b\alpha w$. With $a_e=2\alpha \sqrt{\pi }$, the integrated plume balances in uniform ambient density areSeek a pure plume with no persistent source volume or momentum scale. Equating powers of $z$ gives $Q\propto z^{5/3}$ and $M\propto z^{4/3}$; constant buoyancy gives $B=B_0$. Equating coefficients yields, relative to the ideal source or a fitted plume virtual origin,Thus $Q\sim B_0^{1/3}{z}^{5/3}$, $M\sim B_0^{2/3}{z}^{4/3}$ and $b=6\alpha z/5$. A finite nozzle or nonzero source momentum requires a near-source transition rather than this singular point-source solution at arbitrarily small $z$.

In a stably stratified ambient, entrained fluid is progressively lighter with increasing height. Relative to that ambient, the plume's buoyancy flux satisfies $B^{\prime }=-N^{2}Q<0$. It therefore becomes neutrally buoyant before its upward momentum vanishes. It overshoots, becomes negatively buoyant, and eventually turns and spreads laterally near its neutral-buoyancy level. The top-hat ascent equations cease to describe the overturning cap and lateral intrusion.

For constant $N$, the balances give a useful exact relation:for an ideal zero-momentum source. The rising branch begins at $B=B_0$, attains its largest momentum at $B=0$, and reaches its terminal zero-momentum limit at $B=-B_0$. Entrainment and decreasing buoyancy make the associated rise interval finite.

An estimate follows already from the unstratified pure plume flux: $N^2{\int }_0^{H}Qdz\sim B_0$, so $N^2{B}_0^{1/3}{H}^{8/3}\sim B_0$. HenceThe coefficient depends on the entrainment coefficient and the distinction between neutral height, maximum rise and final spreading level. The scaling can also be obtained from the dimensions $[B_0]=L^4{T}^{-3}$ and $[N]=T^{-1}$. The sketch distinguishes the neutral level from the maximum rise.