Prediction of a 2-D Solidification Front in High Temperature Furnaces by an Inverse Analysis

Abstract

This study presents an inverse heat transfer method for predicting the two-dimensional time-varying shape of the phase change protective bank on the inside surface of a wall of a high temperature furnace filled with molten material. The method rests on the Levenberg-Marquardt least-square minimization technique and it relies on non-intrusive temperature measurements. Results indicate that under typical melting furnace operating conditions, the 2-D inverse methodology provides accurate predictions of the moving boundary. For these real time industrial applications however, a simpler yet accurate quasi-2-D inverse method that is nearly 10 times faster than the full 2-D inverse model is proposed.

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and to Rio Tinto Alcan for their financial support.