Estimation of drying rate curves for nonhygroscopic porous slabs using the characteristic function for the regular regime

A new method to predict convective drying is proposed for slabs of nonhygroscopic porous material with uniformly varying body temperature. The method enables the drying rate and the body temperature to be estimated for various drying conditions from a single experiment on drying. No information about the dependence of the moisture diffusivity on the moisture content is required. The basis of the method is that a period exists during which the relationship between a modified flux parameter and a modified mean moisture content is independent of the drying conditions. This period is defined as the regular regime, and the relationship is called the characteristic function for the regular regime (CFRR). The CFRR, representing the characteristic of the material to be dried, is determinable from a single experiment on convective drying. The present method extracts information for desired drying conditions directly from the CFRR. The practicability of this method has been verified by applying it to experiments on the drying of unglazed alumina.