Thermomechanics of Drying Processes

This book presents a systematic thermomechanical theory of drying. The book has an interdisciplinary character and combines the knowledge of Chemical Engineering and Mechanics of Continua. It contents a unified approach to the heat and mass transfer in drying processes as well as a precise analysis of all local drying effects. Methods for the improvement of quality of dried products and optimization of drying processes with respect to the strength of materials and drying time are presented. The book also presents the theory for fully coupled multiphase transport in deformable capillary porous media as well as computer simulations of drying processes. Finally the acoustic emission method is described as an experimental way of identification of material fractures during drying.