Effect of spatial variation of thermal conductivity on non-fourier heat conduction in a finite slab

The non-Fourier heat conduction problem in a finite slab is studied analytically. Dependence of thermal conductivity on space has been considered. The Laplace transform method is used to remove the time-dependent terms in the governing equation and the boundary conditions. The hyperbolic heat conduction (HHC) equation has been solved by employing trial solution method and collocation optimization criterion. Results show that the space-dependent thermal conductivity strongly affects the temperature distribution. A temperature peak on the insulated wall of the slab has been observed due to linear variation of thermal conductivity. It has been shown that the magnitude of the temperature peak increases with increasing the dimensionless relaxation time. To validate the approach, the results have been compared with the analytical solution obtained for a special case which shows a good agreement.