The Basics of a Reaction Engineering Approach to Modeling Air-Drying of Small Droplets or Thin-Layer Materials

Abstract

In this article, the development of a reaction engineering approach (REA) to modeling air drying of thin-layer materials or solids droplet/particles, a 10-year-old approach, is critically reviewed. This approach for drying data reduction has been seen to be successful in several applications (droplet drying and layer drying). The historical aspects and its possible relations to the characteristic drying rate curve (CDRC) model, one of the most well-known drying kinetics models, have been articulated. Possible improvements and future prospects are discussed.

Keywords:

• Characteristic drying rate
• Droplet drying
• Drying kinetics
• Food drying
• Mathematical model
• Reaction engineering
• Spray drying

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author acknowledges an adjunct professorship arrangement with China Agricultural University (CAU), which allowed him to spend some time writing this review in the quiet environment at the drying laboratory at CAU. The author also acknowledges other funding bodies that have contributed to his drying-related works, including the Australian Research Council, Gardiner Foundation Victoria, Dairy Australia, Dairy Innovation Australia Ltd, Fonterra Research Centre, and the University of Auckland. The author currently holds the Chair of Biotechnology and Food Engineering and Professor of Chemical Engineering at Monash University, Australia.