Toward a generic approach to build up air drying models

Few versatile software programs allowing for the precise simulation of drying processes in a whole industrial plant are available. This work was done during the creation of a generic convective drying simulator for food solid particle in ProSimPlus, a chemical engineering software. Modeling approaches are discussed, and among them a compromise between first-principle modeling, reduced lab work, ability to accurately predict kinetics for a wide range of drying conditions, and low simulation time is presented. Predictive models of some required food product properties are examined. Two toolboxes were created: one estimating physical properties of foodstuffs and another simulating transfers in air and in the product. This approach is validated on four food products (with various formulations and shapes).