Drying Software: Past, Present, and Future

This article reviews the various types of software programs that can be useful for drying. These are divided into five categories—calculation programs, simulators, expert systems, knowledge bases, and ancillary calculations—and examples of each are given. In particular, recent advances in dryer spreadsheets, selection expert systems, and humidity calculation software are highlighted. Models should use an appropriate level of rigor for the available data and the required purpose of the results. Scale-up from experimental drying curves often yields better results in practice than design from published physical properties alone. Possible future developments are considered, and both technical and commercial reasons are suggested why relatively few drying programs have become widely available.