Quantification of through drying rate data

For through drying there are three distinct drying rate periods, increasing rate, constant rate and falling rate. The increasing rate period is so important that nearly half of the drying is completed in this period only. A drying rate - moisture content relationship for this period was obtained based on theoretical analysis. It was verified with experimental data. A quantitative representation of the complete drying rate curve was established using this relationship and a modified power law equation for the falling rate period drying rate - moisture content relation. It needs five parameters to quantify the through drying from wet to dry: moisture content at the end of the increasing rate period; exponent for the drying rate - moisture relationship during the increasing rate period; constant drying rate; critical moisture content and the power-law exponent for the falling rate period.