Estimation of the transient surface temperature and heat flux of a steel slab using an inverse method

In the steel industry it is of great importance to be able to control the surface temperature and heating- or cooling rates during heat treatment processes. An experiment was performed in which a steel slab was heated up to 1250 °C in a fuel fired test furnace. The transient surface temperature and heat flux of a steel slab is calculated using a model for inverse heat conduction. That is, the time dependent local surface temperature and heat flux of a slab is calculated on the basis of temperature measurements in selected points of its interior by using a model of inverse heat conduction. Time- and temperature histories were measured at three points inside a steel slab. Measured temperature histories at the two lower locations of the slab were used as input to calculate the temperature at the position of the third location. A comparison of the experimentally measured and the calculated temperature histories was made to verify the model. The results showed very good agreement and suggest that this model can be applied to similar applications in the Steel industry or in other areas where the target of investigation for some reason is inaccessible to direct measurements.