Inverse Heat Transfer Analysis of Porous Extended Surface Using Simplex Search Method

This work deals with the application of the Nelder-Mead simplex search method (SSM) to study a porous extended surface. At first, analytical expression for calculating the local temperature field has been derived using an implicit Runge-Kutta method. The heat transfer phenomenon is assumed to be governed by conductive, naturally convective and radiative heat transfer, whereas the diffusion of mass through the porous media is also taken into account. Then, using the SSM, critical parameters such as porosity, permeability, and thermal conductivities of the extended surface have been predicted for satisfying a prescribed temperature field. It is found that many alternative solutions can meet a given thermal requirement, which is proposed to offer the flexibility in selecting the material and regulating the thermal conditions. It is observed that the allowable error in the temperature measurement should be limited within 5%. It is also found that even with few temperature measurement points, very good reconstruction of the thermal field is possible using the SSM.