Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine how the drying rate in the falling drying rate period can be predicted in superheated steam drying. The study presents drying kinetics (determined experimentally) in the range of steam temperatures from 120°C to 200°C, with the superheated steam velocity from 0.18 to 0.40 m/s and under atmospheric pressure of a gypsum plate. In the study the drying rate based on the convective heat-transfer coefficient and steam-solid temperature difference was determined. It was proven that in order to predict drying rate in the falling rate period the surface temperature must be known.