An Initial Value Approach to the Inverse Heat Conduction Problem

The one-dimensional linear inverse problem of heat conduction is considered. An initial value technique is developed which solves the inverse problem without need for iteration. Simultaneous estimates of the surface temperature and heat flux histories are obtained from measurements taken at a subsurface location. Past and future measurement times are inherently used in the analysis. The tradeoff that exists between resolution and variance of the estimates of the surface conditions is discussed quantitatively. A stabilizing matrix is introduced to the analysis, and its effect on the resolution and variance of the estimates is quantified. The technique is applied to “exact” and “noisy” numerically simulated experimental data. Results are presented which indicate the technique is capable of handling both exact and noisy data.