Intermittent and Nonstationary Drying Technologies ─ Principles and Applications

Intermittent drying (ID) is considered one of the most promising solutions for improving energy efficiency and product quality. This book demonstrates the benefits of ID in terms of energy efficiency and product quality. Fundamental models and experimental procedures of ID, design guidelines, methods of achieving the right level of intermittency, and relationship between process parameters and product quality are presented. Intermittent applications of advanced drying methods like ultrasound, infrared, and microwave together with hot air will be described. Important topics for future theoretical and experimental studies are identified, and the direction of further research is suggested.

Dr. Azharul Karim is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Queensland University of Technology, Australia. He earned his B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh (CUET) and Masters’ degree (by research, Mechanical) from National University of Singapore (NUS). He received his PhD from Melbourne University in 2007. Through his scholarly, innovative, high-quality research, he has established a national and international standing. His excellence in research has been demonstrated by development of many innovative new products, 2 international patents, 142 high-quality refereed publications (including 57 journal papers, 2 books and 12 book chapters), 13 research grants amounting A$3.1 million including one highly competitive Advanced Queensland fellowship, and being invited by reputed universities for seminars and establishment of national and international research collaboration. Dr. Karim’s innovative product development capability is well recognised. He developed an ultrasonic washing machine and ultrasonic dishwasher (both patented), highly efficient v-grove solar thermal collector for drying applications, stratified thermal storage for air-conditioning systems, intermittent microwave assisted convective dryer, and intermittent microwave heat pump dryers. Dr. Karim’s papers are highly cited. In last 5 years, 12 of his papers have attracted about 1200 citations. Dr. Karim serves as an assistant editor for Drying Technology, a journal published by Taylor & Francis. He is also an editorial board member of International Journal of Food Properties.

Chung Lim Law, Ph. D. is Professor of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus. He serves as Head of Department of the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Chung Lim received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the National University of Malaysia as well as his Ph.D. from the same university under the supervision of Professor Wan Ramli Wan Daud. He has worked on fluidized bed drying technology for many years and has extended his interest in drying research to heat pump-assisted drying and low-temperature drying. His recent research activities include drying of herbal product using heat pump-assisted solar drying and heat pump-assisted drying, edible birdnest drying using low-temperature drying technique. He has recently completed an industrial project in fabricating and installing an industrial-scale heat pump drying system for the drying of medical grade filter paper. Chung Lim serves as an associate editor for Drying Technology, a journal published by Taylor & Francis. He is an assessor in accrediting chemical engineering programmes in Malaysia. He also serves the IChemE (Institution of Chemical Engineers) Malaysian Board and Chair the Malaysia Professional Formation Forum.