ABSTRACT
Cabinet dryers are the most extensively used drying device in the food industry and farms because of their simple and economic design. However, non-uniformity in the moisture content of the end product is the main disadvantage of this drying system. In food processing, optimization of the drying stage is very important due to the need to control energy consumption and waste products. Optimum conditions for heat and mass transfer in a cabinet dryer depend on a number of parameters, including temperature and relative humidity of the drying air, product moisture content, flow rate, airflow pattern, geometrical features of dryer such as tray porosity, direction of airflow and distances of trays from each other. Usually determining the effect of the geometry on fluid flow distribution to design a new structure is the main purpose of cabinet dryer simulation by CFD. In this chapter, the operating conditions and structural factors of the cabinet dryer are going to be discussed and some useful models for drying process presented.
