Overview of Inverse Thermal Analysis of Drop-by-Drop Liquid-Metal Deposition Using Green’s Functions

Abstract

An overview is presented of general aspects of a methodology for inverse thermal analysis of drop-by-drop liquid-metal deposition based on Green’s functions. This methodology is constructed according to the general physical characteristics of rapid prototyping processes employing drop-by-drop liquid-metal deposition. This methodology represents a specific extension of a methodology using basis functions that was introduced previously for inverse analysis of welding processes, and of energy deposition in general. The formal structure of the methodology follows from a specific definition of the inverse heat transfer problem, which is well posed for inverse analysis of heat deposition processes. This definition is based on the assumption of the availability of information concerning spatially distributed boundary and constraint values. This information would be obtained in principle from both experimental measurements obtained in the laboratory, as well as numerical simulations performed using models having been constructed using basic theory.