Mathematical simulation of convective drying: Spatially distributed temperature and moisture in carrot slab

A one-dimensional unsteady state mathematical model of coupled heat and mass transfer equations is developed to simulate the convective drying of individual food. The semi-analytical proposed solution method considers fundamentals of the drying process and takes internal resistances to temperature and moisture into account. Present study describes a novel solution approach of thin layer drying for spatially distributed temperature and moisture content within carrot slices. Temperature and moisture differences of surface and center, heat, and mass Biot numbers are calculated during the drying. In addition, the effects of Biot number and relative humidity on drying kinetics of carrot slices are investigated. The procedure of solution approach and obtained results are expected to be useful to drying industry. The predicted temperature and moisture history of food in drying process is validated with a set of published experimental data. A comparison between the theoretical and experimental results has shown a remarkable agreement. (C) 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.