An inverse technique based methodology for the optimal control of the solidification front motion in the continuous casting of pure metals with temperature-dependent material properties is proposed. In this method, to achieve specific mechanical and metallurgical properties of the final product, a predefined motion of the solidification front is selected. A history of the heat flux on the fixed boundaries of the problem is then computed, which would result in an actual motion of the solidification front representing the best match for the desired one. A sensitivity analysis of the inverse problem is efficiently carried out by a truly meshless method. The proposed inverse technique is applied for the design of the continuous casting of pure metals with temperature-dependent thermo-physical properties. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated through some numerical examples.
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