Diffusive model with shrinkage in the thin-layer drying of fish muscles

Fish fillets present large variation in volume during drying, due to their high initial moisture content. A kinetical study on the drying of fish muscles in slabs shaped with constant air conditions at three temperature levels is presented. For the modeling of the drying process of these materials, a diffusive model can be used, assuming a one-dimensional volume change. A linear correlation was considered between the thickness of the material and its moisture content, where the linear shrinkage coefficient has been determined. The resulting dimensionless nonlinear partial differential equation was solved numerically by the finite differences technique.