An efficient simulation of the heat and mass transfer processes during drying of capillary porous, hygroscopic materials

The optimization of drying processes as well as the design of drying equipment can be accomplished by computer simulation. In order to predict the drying behavior of capillary porous, hygroscopic materials a numerical model simulating the convective heat and mass transfer and an efficient method in determining the coefficients for the moisture conductivity and the vapor diffusion resistance by an inverse procedure are introduced. For demonstrating the efficacy of the simulation model as well as the inverse procedure the theoretical predictions of the simulation model derived for steady and time dependent drying conditions are compared with experimental data.