INCAP: a finite element program for one-dimensional nonlinear inverse heat conduction analysis

The calculation of the surface temperature and surface heat flux from a measured temperature history at an interior point of a body is identified in the literature as the inverse heat conduction problem. This report presents apparently the first application of an inverse solution technique that utilizes a finite element heat conduction model and Beck's nonlinear estimation procedure. The technique is applicable to the one-dimensional nonlinear model with temperature-dependent thermophysical properties. A digital computer program INCAP (INverse Heat Conduction Analysis Program) is developed from the formulation and is used in a comparative study with the finite difference inverse code ORINC (ORNL INverse Code). Specifically, two representative thermocouple transients obtained from electrically heated composite rods during a simulated loss-of-coolant accident are analyzed with INCAP and ORINC and the results are compared