Heat flux estimation through inverted non-integer identification models.

A model of non-integer order that reproduced the transient thermal behaviour of a system is identified. This model is expressed as a linear relationship between the fractionnal derivates of the temperature at a point of the medium and those of the solicitation applied on the system. Using recursive form of the derivates lead to identify the unknows of the model applying the linear least square method from experimental data. The application concerned a semi-infinite medium submited to a single heat flux on its surface. Among the applications of this approach, the identified model is used in an inverse technique to estimate the heat flux applied on the medium. (C) 2000 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.