Simultaneous estimation of parameters in analyzing porous medium combustion—assessment of seven optimization tools

Abstract

ABSTRACTSimultaneous estimation of the gas velocity, scattering albedo, and downstream pore diameter in a two-layer planar porous matrix involving combined mode conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer with combustion is reported. Non-local thermal equilibrium between the gas and the solid phase is accounted by separate energy equations for the two phases. Performances of the genetic algorithm, genetic algorithm parallel, simulated annealing, multiple starting point algorithm parallel, pattern search algorithm, pattern search algorithm parallel, and global search algorithm in the simultaneous estimation of three parameters are analyzed. All the algorithms utilize a priori knowledge of the axial gas temperature distribution, and the magnitudes of the convective and the radiative heat fluxes at the outer surface of the porous matrix. With volumetric radiative information needed in the solid phase energy equation computed using the discrete transfer method, the two energy equations are simultaneously solved using the finite volume method. Pattern search algorithm provides better estimation, and computationally it is also the fastest.