Stages in the transient cooling of a slab

The classical solutions to the one dimensional transient heat flow situation are examined and criteria are set up to map stages in the cooling process in a parallel sided slab following step changes at the exposed surface. The temperature θ, at a point within the slab, undergoes a perceptible deviation from the undisturbed state, and from the state determined by cooling from the nearer side alone, at times ζ₀ (the Fourier number) found from a relation of type $\text{d}{}^3\text{θ}\text{dζ}{}_0{}^3\text{= 0}$ in the appropriate progressive wave solution. Cooling becomes virtually exponential at a time ζ₀ when $\text{d}{}^2\text{θ}\text{dζ}{}_0{}^2$ for the first term in the standing wave solution equals the sum of the higher terms. The response times are conveniently expressed in terms of ζ₀, ζ₀B or ζ₀B² (B is the Biot number) according to the model involved. Examples are given illustrating these results in a building context.