Simulation of Heat and Mass Transfer of Cut Tobacco in a Batch Rotary Dryer by Multi-Objective Optimization

Summary To simulate the drying process of cut tobacco in a batch rotary dryer, six different models of equilibrium moisture content were selected to calculate the driving force of mass transfer, and a mathematical model of heat and mass transfer was numerically solved. The multi-objective nonlinear problem of heat and mass transfer coefficients was optimized by employing a weight factor. The simulation results showed that the weight factor r was an important parameter for fitting results of moisture content and temperature. The model evaluation indices almost reached their minimal values with r at 0.1. For all the six equilibrium/classic models the fit was better for moisture content than for temperature. One model (M-Hen/C) was superior to other equilibrium/classic models and the REA (reaction engineering approach) model. This study aims for an understanding of heat and mass transfer in the tobacco drying process, and provides a theoretical framework to support the prediction of temperature and moisture in various drying situations.