Modeling of grains sun drying: from theoretical methods to intelligent systems

Drying is the reduction of moisture content to a level where preservation without deterioration is assured within a given time frame. In this chapter, the progress in research in to the modeling of the drying of grains is discussed, taking a historical perspective and looking at the transition from a theoretical approach to intelligent systems. The models developed for heat and mass transfer during the drying of grains are lumped parameter models, distributed parameter models, and thin-layer drying equations. The popular assumptions in model development are temperature equilibrium and surface moisture content equilibrium. The system of nonlinear partial differential equations is usually solved numerically, using a variety of solution methods sometimes implemented on in silico platforms. Intelligent data-driven systems have become more popularly utilized for the modeling of grain drying. It is observed that most studies use it for moisture content prediction, but it has also been applied for energy efficiency optimization and in-process control.