A Three Dimensional (3D) Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical Model for Microwave Drying

T. Gulati[1], H. Zhu[1], A. K. Datta[1]
[1]Department of Biological & Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
Published in 2014

Microwave drying of foodstuffs is a complex interplay of mass, momentum, and energy transport coupled with large deformation of the solid. To be able to better understand the microwave drying process, a fundamentals-based three dimensional (3D) multiphase porous media based model is developed to simulate the microwave drying process. An elaborate experimental system comprising of infrared camera, optical fiber probe and digital balance was also built to measure key process parameters during drying. The model developed above was validated by comparing temperature and moisture histories and good agreement was found between experimental data and predicted values. A mechanistic approach to understanding microwave drying of foodstuffs is developed that could aid in predicting key quality attributes associated with microwave drying.