Computational Fluid Dynamics in Drying Process Modelling—a Technical Review

Powerful computational tools such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) have now replaced the classic method of numerical analysis of drying processes based on experimental models. Its capabilities include the adaptability to model different flow processes such as drying, with high spatial and temporal resolution facilitates and an in-depth understanding of the heat, as well as mass and momentum transfer. CFD complements the experimental and analytical approaches by simulating a range of complex flow problems. Although CFD has immense industrial applications in fluid dynamics, its use in different drying simulations is still in early stages of development. This paper presents a thorough review of the computational power of CFD packages and their application in the drying process simulation. The review also covers different mathematical approaches used in drying models, the commonly available commercial CFD codes, and the turbulence models used in simulations of drying problems. The factors contributing to the complexity and computational load of such CFD-based models are discussed. The later sections of the paper discuss various bottlenecks in the application of CFD in drying, such as the complexity of the models for convoluted geometries, and the limited description regarding the turbulent interaction between different phases.