Numerical investigation of the effect of IR heating on drying mechanism in a tumble dryer

A two-dimensional mathematical model was developed to predict the temperature and moisture-content profiles of a tumble dryer during infrared drying. The model is based on the movements of liquid water and moisture in the object and on the fluid and heat transfer in the drying air. The model was solved by the finite volume analysis for the fluid, temperature, and radiation intensity fields. After deriving the governing equations and developing the twodimensional tumble dryer models, numerical investigations were carried out to examine the effects of various parameters such as the heater temperature and the heating patterns on the drying mechanism of the tumble dryer. All the results show that the drying time can be reduced by using the IR heater.