COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS OF INDUSTRIAL BATCH DRYERS OF FRUITS

An industrial batch-type, tray air dryer constructed for drying of several fruits, was investigated. Momentum, heat and mass transfer regarding both gaseous and solid phases was simulated using computational fluid dynamics. A mathematical model of the dryer for predicting the turbulent, three-dimensional transfer phenomena inside the industrial batch dryer equipment was developed and analyzed. The model consists of the full set of partial differential equations that describes the conservation of mass, momentum and heat inside the dryer. The standard k-ε model was used to describe turbulence in addition to the governing conservation equations. The simulated profiles of flow field, temperature and humidity of the air phase revealed a lack of spatial homogeneity of air conditions above the product. The situation was found to greatly influence the distribution of material moisture content of the dried product for the various stages of drying. The investigation was carried out for the representative case of sultana raisins.An industrial batch-type, tray air dryer constructed for drying of several fruits, was investigated. Momentum, heat and mass transfer regarding both gaseous and solid phases was simulated using computational fluid dynamics. A mathematical model of the dryer for predicting the turbulent, three-dimensional transfer phenomena inside the industrial batch dryer equipment was developed and analyzed. The model consists of the full set of partial differential equations that describe the conservation of mass, momentum and heat inside the dryer. The standard k-ε model was used to describe turbulence in addition to the governing conservation equations. The simulated profiles of flow field, temperature and humidity of the air phase revealed a lack of spatial homogeneity of air conditions above the product. The situation was found to greatly influence the distribution of material moisture content of the dried product for the various stages of drying. The investigation was carried out for the representative case of sultana raisins.