Introduction to Inverse Methods in Heat Transfer

Determining internal thermal behavior when direct measurement is impossible is a critical challenge in modern engineering. This course introduces you to inverse heat transfer methods, enabling you to calculate unknown boundary conditions, thermal properties, and heat source locations from accessible temperature data. You will transition from understanding basic forward heat conduction to solving complex parameter estimation problems. What you'll learn: Understand the fundamental differences between direct and inverse heat transfer problems; Apply mathematical formulation to model one-dimensional and multi-dimensional heat conduction; Implement parameter estimation techniques using modern Python libraries and optimization algorithms; Analyze sensitivity coefficients to determine the reliability of your thermal measurements; Solve inverse problems involving boundary heat flux estimation and thermophysical property determination; Practice filtering noise from experimental data to ensure stable and accurate numerical solutions. This text-based course guides you step-by-step, starting with core thermodynamic concepts and mathematical foundations before advancing to practical numerical implementation and programming exercises. It is designed for engineering students, researchers, and practicing thermal engineers who have a basic background in heat transfer and want to master inverse analysis. Start your journey into thermal parameter estimation today.