Applicable methodologies for modelling of heat and mass transfer phenomena in tumble dryers: A review
Abstract
Tumble dryers are convenient but energy-intensive, and their performance depends on coupled heat and mass transfer within the drum and air circuit. This review evaluates mathematical modeling approaches for these processes, spanning 0-D lumped-parameter models, 1-D heat and moisture transfer models, and kinematic and image-processing methods, across vented, condenser, and heat-pump dryer types. Literature was drawn from peer-reviewed sources published roughly since the 1990s. The Chilton–Colburn analogy remains the dominant framework for evaporation-rate modeling, but its reliance on constant transfer coefficients, uniform textile temperature, and saturated surface assumptions limits its accuracy during the falling-rate drying period, when evaporation slows and a larger fraction of supplied energy may be diverted to heating the textiles and drum rather than moisture removal. This review’s contribution lies in systematically comparing classical models (Lambert, Deans) against newer 1-D, regression-based, kinematic, and image-processing strategies, clarifying the assumptions, applicability boundaries, and engineering trade-offs of each. The findings point toward hybrid, uncertainty-aware models that couple energy-balance formulations with variable transfer coefficients, textile-motion data, and data-driven tools as the most promising path forward for energy-efficient dryer design and control.