Analysis of microwave assisted fluidized-bed drying of particulate product with a simplified heat and mass transfer model

Drying characteristics of particulates in a fluidized bed with microwave energy were studied with a simplified heat and mass transfer model. In the model, the temperature equation considered the air flow conditions while in the moisture equation, a diffusion equation was employed. The resulting equations were solved with an implicit finite difference scheme. The model simulation was checked against the experimental results of diced apples. The model prediction for product moisture agreed well with the experimental result. Predicted product temperature was slightly lower than the measured. This may be caused by error in the estimation of the microwave power term. The development and validation of the model will provide a relatively simple means of simulating the drying kinetics of microwave assisted convective drying in a fluidized bed.