Journal of Theoretical
and Applied Mechanics

55, 1, pp. 103-116, Warsaw 2017
DOI: 10.15632/jtam-pl.55.1.103

The application of the Beck`s method combined with the FEM and Trefftz functions to determine the heat transfer coefficient in minichannel

Beata Maciejewska
The aim of this study is to determine the heat transfer coefficient between the heated
surface and the boiling fluid flowing in a minichannel on the basis of experimental data. The
calculation model is based on Beck’s method coupled with the FEM and Trefftz functions.
The Trefftz functions used in the Hermite interpolation are employed to construct the shape
functions in the FEM. The unknown local values of the heat transfer coefficient at the foil-
-fluid contact surface are calculated from Newton’s law. The temperature of the heated foil
and the heat flux on the foil surface are determined by solving a two-dimensional inverse
heat conduction problem. The study is focused on the identification of the heat transfer
coefficients in the subcooled boiling region and the saturated nucleate boiling region. The
results are compared with the data obtained through the one-dimensional method. The
investigations also reveal how the smoothing of measurement data affects calculation results.
Keywords: Beck’s method, FEM, Trefftz functions, heat transfer coefficient, inverse heat conduction problem, flow boiling