Modeling of heat and moisture transfers with stress–strain formation during convective air drying of deformable media

A mathematical formulation of heat, mass and momentum transfers’ phenomena during drying of saturated deformable porous media was developed. The effect of the fluid pressure gradient on the fluid transfer is described by using the Darcy law. An elastic comportment has been used to close the mechanical problem. The model is solved numerically by using finite elements method based on Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian description. The evolutions of moisture content, liquid pressure and stresses within a clay sample were discussed. A large tensional stress, which could induce a crack, was observed at the product surface exposed to the drying air.