Inverse problems in identification and modeling of thermal processes: Russian contributions

Abstract

PurposeThe main purpose of this study, reflecting mainly the content of the authors’ plenary lecture, is to make a brief overview of several approaches developed by the author and his colleagues to the solution to ill-posed inverse heat transfer problems (IHTPs) with their possible extension to a wider class of inverse problems of mathematical physics and, most importantly, to show the wide possibilities of this methodology by examples of aerospace applications. In this regard, this study can be seen as a continuation of those applications that were discussed in the lecture.Design/methodology/approachThe application of the inverse method was pre-tested with experimental investigations on a special test equipment in laboratory conditions. In these studies, the author used the solution to the nonlinear inverse problem in the conjugate (conductive and convective) statement. The corresponding iterative algorithm has been developed and tested by a numerical and experimental way.FindingsIt can be stated that the theory and methodology of solving IHTPs combined with experimental simulation of thermal conditions is an effective tool for various fundamental and applied research and development in the field of heat and mass transfer.Originality/valueWith the help of the developed methods of inverse problems, the investigation was conducted for a porous cooling with a gaseous coolant for heat protection of the re-entry vehicle in the natural environment of hypersonic flight. Moreover, the analysis showed that the inverse methods can make a useful contribution to the study of heat transfer at the surface of a solid body under the influence of the hypersonic heterogeneous (dusty) gas stream and in many other aerospace applications.