A Modified Online Input Estimation Algorithm for Inverse Modeling of Steel Quenching

The surface temperatures and surface heat flux of a 1080 steel cylinder during the quenching process are estimated by the application of inverse heat transfer analysis. The conventional online input estimation algorithm is modified and used for the first time to handle this coupled nonlinear problem. The nonlinearity of the problem is treated explicitly, which results in a noniterative algorithm suitable for real-time control of the steel quenching process. The results obtained are validated using experimental data and numerical results obtained by solving the direct problem. Results show that the algorithm can estimate the convective heat transfer coefficient efficiently.