Numerical Study of Porous Media Assembly Drying Process

This paper presents a two-dimensional numerical analysis of an evaporative drying process of the porous bodies in a row, considering effects of configuration on heat and mass transfer in assembly. Drying process simulation of three rectangular porous material subject to forced convection, was carried out by employing N-S, energy and concentration equations for external air flow; along with moisture conservation and energy equations for the porous zone. Numerical predictions indicate that the first porous body encountered with flow dries faster in comparison to the others, while for next bodies average moisture contents are approximately equal in all the drying time. Moreover, it was observed that for the first body, both of top surface and opposite surface to the flow direction have equal importance in heat and mass transfer; while top surface of next bodies, have major role in drying process. Also moisture and temperature profiles of the first body have shown essential difference with the other objects. It can be concluded that no significant change in heat and mass transfer and drying rate will be achieved through the change in distance between porous bodies.