Computational modeling of a mass transfer measuring device

Abstract

This article presents a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of a mass‐transfer measurement device designed to characterise biomass properties using Fick’s second law of diffusion, enabling the experimental determination of drying kinetics. The developed numerical model describes the device operation under vacuum conditions and incorporates the Ergun equation to represent the effect of the internal mesh filter. Model predictions were validated against experimental measurements performed with the device for different mesh sizes, yielding discrepancies of less than 1% in mass flow rate and below 7% in outlet air velocity. This validation supports the use of the model to assess alternative device geometries prior to fabrication and to extend the simulations to include biomass properties inside the internal containers, in order to analyse the influence of mass diffusion on the drying process.