Inverse determination of boundary conditions during boiling water heat transfer in quenching operation

Heat transfer equations describe in most general terms the relationship of temperature, time and space coordinates. In order to achieve a solution matching a given phenomenon, unicity conditions of the solution have to be determined. One of them is the heat transfer coefficient. In complex heat transfer processes. to which belong quenching operation, that coefficient is being determined experimentally or numerically. This paper presents a technique for identifying, the local heat transfer coefficient when cooling hot bodies in water during quenching. A dynamic method was applied, using inverse solution of the heat transfer equation. In that solution, a temperature experimentally determined during sensor cooling is set in the equation. The paper presents the results of measurements and calculations as well as a discussion of results for various cooling conditions and positions of the active surface of the sensor. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.