ABSTRACT
Currently, there is a lot of equipment intended for the drying process involving different technologies and energy sources. Despite the wide application of drying in the processing industry, it is common to associate its success with the practical experience of operators. This is in the opposite direction of the future of Industry 4.0 application, which aims to relate automation and efficiency. The application of information technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics requires the most complete and broad predictive capacity of phase behavior during the drying process. This chapter shows a brief description of rotary dryer characteristics and applications, an excellent option of industrial dryers, rotary dryers stand out due to their simple construction, easy operation, and high processing capacity. However, their evolution based on practical experience has contributed to many inefficient or poorly sized industrial dryers. A satisfactory design requires the knowledge of the dynamics of particles inside the equipment, from the entry to the discharge of the material, as well as the material particularities, the operational condition, and the equipment itself. The determination of the drying kinetics is fundamental for the mathematical modeling, correct design, and operation of convective dryers.
