An inverse analysis for the heat conduction during a grinding process

A numerical method is applied to analyze the heat-conduction problem in a grinding process. At the beginning, the time and space domains of the problem are discretized based on the finite difference method and then a linear inverse model, in which the solution procedure requires no iteration, is constructed to identify the temperature distribution and the heat flux along the cutting path. The excess heat generated in the grinding process may cause thermal damage to the workpieces and the wheels, however, direct measurement is extremely difficult or simply impossible in the contact zone of the grinding process. The inverse approach provides an alternative. According to this study, a few data measured wherever the temperature measurement can be done are sufficient to determine the temperature and the heat flux on the workpiece surface. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.