Moisture diffusivity estimation by temperature response of a drying body

Abstract

This chapter provides a method for the moisture diffusivity estimation from experimentally measured temperature response of a drying body by using inverse approach. Drying is a complex process of simultaneous heat and moisture transport within material, and from its surface to the surroundings, caused by a number of mechanisms. The mathematical model of drying and the numerical procedure for solution of direct drying problem are given in the chapter. The Levenberg–Marquardt method is used for estimation of the moisture content and temperature dependent moisture diffusivity. Experiments using numerically simulated temperature data are presented to verify the applicability of the method. The estimation method is demonstrated using data obtained from a simulation of the experimental design. The results, in the case with errorless measurements as well as with measurements containing random errors, show good agreement between evaluated and exact parameter values and confirm the validity of the proposed method.