Simulation of air movement in a dryer by computational fluid dynamics: Application for the drying of fruits

An industrial batch-type, tray air dryer was constructed for the drying of several fruits. The air movement inside the drying chamber was simulated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The pressure profiles and the ail velocities in the drying chamber above the product were determined by CFD and a lack of spatial homogeneity of the atr velocities above the product was found. Drying tests of several fruits were conducted and the drying result expressed as weight loss fraction, was determined. There was a variation in the degree of the dryness in several trays and the non-uniformity was traced to in certain areas of the chamber Comparison of data obtained by the CFD and data obtained from the drying tests showed a strong correlation between the drying rate and the air velocity (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Limited. All rights reserved.