Application of the variational iteration method to nonlinear non‐Fourier conduction heat transfer equation with variable coefficient

In this paper, a variational iteration method (VIM) has been applied to nonlinear non‐Fourier conduction heat transfer equation with variable specific heat coefficient. The concept of the variational iteration method is introduced briefly for applying this method for problem solving. The proposed iterative scheme finds the solution without any discretization, linearization, or restrictive assumptions. The results of VIM as an analytical solution are then compared with those derived from the established numerical solution obtained by the fourth order Runge–Kutta method in order to verify the accuracy of the proposed method. The results reveal that the VIM is very effective and convenient in predicting the solution of such problems, and it is predicted that VIM can find a wide application in new engineering problems. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20362