Heat and mass transfer in unsaturated porous cake with heated walls

The mineral granules in the industrial drying units such as rotary dryer or fluidized dryer or the membrane in the PEMFC experience transient multiphase heat and mass transfer with transient heating mode. In particular, the transport process within mineral granules in the dryer is difficult to model owing to effects of complicated granule-granule collision and granule-heated surface. This article presents a comprehensive model consisting of continuity and heat and mass balances of three phases in an unsteady state. Numerical results revealed the flow patterns and temperature distributions of gas and liquid phases in mineral granule over time. The thermal response of the heated medium will be very different under low and high mixing intensities. The development of a recirculation liquid zone to balance the yielded capillary suction gradient enhances local evaporation and vapor accumulation rates, thus determining the overall evaporation rate form medium.