Variational iteration method to solve moving boundary problem with temperature dependent physical properties

Abstract

In this paper, variational iteration method is used to solve a moving boundary problem arising during melting or freezing of a semi infinite region when physical properties (thermal conductivity and specific heat) of the two regions are temperature dependent. The result is compared with result obtained by exact method (when thermal conductivity and specific heat in two regions are tempera-ture independent) and semi analytical method (when thermal conductivity and specific heat are temperature dependent) and are in good agreement. We obtain the solution in the form of continuous functions. The method performs extremely well in terms of efficiency and simplicity and effective for solving the moving boundary problems.