Numerical study of the interaction among a pair of blunt plates subject to convective drying - A conjugate approach

The effect of the relative positioning of a pair of porous blunt plates, subject to convective drying, on heat/mass transfer phenomena is investigated numerically based on a combination of a flow-heat transfer simulation with a suitable drying model. The air flow is assumed incompressible, two-dimensional, laminar, confined in a channel and parallel to the plates. The finite volume method is used and the computed temporal and spatial variations of flow parameters, moisture content and temperature for different arrangements are analyzed. Several configurations are studied: Side-by-Side, Staggered and in-Tandem arrangements, in an attempt to find the optimum relative positioning which results in the highest reduction of the mean moisture content of the plates, as well as in a more uniform drying. It was found that the Side-by-Side arrangement shows the best overall drying behaviour among all arrangements considered, owing to the enhancement of heat/mass transfer caused by the blockage effect. The analysis of the parameters affecting the transport rates and the uniformity of drying as well as the discussion of the development of unfavorable aerodynamic or thermal effects due to the interaction of product units, may be valuable in optimizing the arrangement of the products in the dryer. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.