Models for transient conduction in a flat plate subjected to a variable heat flux

This work presents analytical models allowing to identify the transient temperature distribution in a flat plate. The plate is exposed to a convective heat transfer on a face and to a heat flux on the other one. The heating flux is Heaviside (crenel type) and is maintained during a t1 time. The heating phase is followed by a relaxation one. The theoretical method is original because it uses Green’s functions method to determine the analytical solutions of the heat propagation equation in the plate during the heating and relaxation phases. These analytical solutions allow to identify the temperature distribution as well as wall heat flux versus time. The results of our work can be useful at different levels: during the identification of parameters (such as the thermal conductivity or the thermal diffusivity of a plate), during the identification of the boundary conditions (like the heating flux or the convection coefficient) in industrial processes using this kind of systems, or even with educational intents for teaching transient conduction.