Robust Inverse Approach for Two-Dimensional Transient Nonlinear Heat Conduction Problems

Inverse heat conduction analysis provides an efficient approach for estimating the thermophysical properties of materials, the boundary conditions, or the initial conditions. In this paper, two-dimensional transient nonlinear inverse heat conduction problems are investigated, for estimating time-and space-dependent boundary heat flux, as well as the temperature-dependent thermal conductivities. Modifications are carried out to extend the previous one-dimensional inversion algorithm to solve the two-dimensional transient nonlinear heat conduction problem, to overcome the frequently occurring divergence issues, and to improve the stability of the inversion algorithm. Boundary-only measurements are used as additional information, and a dimensionless objective function is adopted. In the direct problem, formulations for solutions to the two-dimensional transient nonlinear heat conduction problem are derived and validated. Numerical examples show that the inversion algorithm is effective, efficient, accurate, and robust, for recovering multiple parameters, with and without a functional form.