CALCULATION OF TEMPERATURE AND MOISTURE DISTRIBUTIONS DURING CONTACT DRYING OF A SHEET OF MOIST MATERIAL

Using equations derived by Luikov 7-9 as a starting point, the drying of a layer of moist material in contact with a hot plate is analysed. Makovozov 5,6 analysed a special case, viz. that of a constant temperature at the hot plate; we pay special attention to (i) the case of a constant heat flux and (ii) the case with a heat flux exponentially decreasing with time. As Makovozov we assume that (i) the pressure gradient influences on the moisture movement are negligible and (ii) that the moisture transport takes place mainly as a result of temperature gradients and not in consequence of moisture potential gradients. We endeavoured to derive also a more general equation without the last mentioned restriction but encountered unsurmountable difficulties due to the asymmetry of the boundary conditions involved. The influence of dimensionless parameters on the temperature and moisture potential distributions is illustrated by numerical examples. The results are compared with scarce experimental data in the References. © 1969.