Conjugate Heat and Mass Transfer from a Drying Rectangular Cylinder in Confined Air Flow

Abstract

Heat and mass transfer from a porous body subject to convective drying is investigated numerically based on Luikov's equations. The air flow is assumed incompressible, two-dimensional, laminar, confined in a channel, and parallel to the rectangular-shaped solid. The finite-volume method is used and the computed temporal and spatial variations of moisture content, temperature, concentration, and flow parameters for two different flow rates are analyzed. Two flow configurations are studied: with and without a flow divider upstream of the cylinder in an attempt to eliminate the presence of separation zones and study their effect on drying. It was found that such effects may greatly affect the drying process, along with frontal area stagnation and the thickness of the body.

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support by the European Social Fund of the European Community and the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology through the Operational Program “Competitiveness” (Measure 8.3, Human Resources in Research & Technology), grant no. 03 E▵303.

Notes

¹It should be noted that in the present nondimensionalization Re is based on H_s /2, therefore, for comparisons with results from literature studies in rectangular cylinders (e.g., Okajima [13]) normally using Re∗ = u_iH_s /ν, Re = Re∗/2 should be taken.