Combined function specification-regularization procedure for solution of inverse heat conduction problem

The inverse heat conduction problem involves the calculation of surface heat flux and/or temperature histories from transient, measured temperatures inside solids. This paper proposes and investigates a new combined procedure that is based on two different methods. One of these methods is the sequential function specification method which was originally proposed by Beck. The other method is the regularization method which has been used by Tikhonov and others. The combined method uses the sequential feature of the function specification method and the special function that is minimized in the regularization method. A test case is investigated of a semi-infinite body exposed to a heat flux that is initially zero, has a step increase and then drops to zero. A wide range of parameters is investigated. The combined procedure is much more computationally efficient than the usual regularization procedure when all the flux components are found simultaneously and yet the calculated values found by combined method are little different.