Innovations in Drying Technologies: Bridging Industrial, Environmental, and Energy Efficiency Challenges

Submission Deadline: 10 November 2025 View: 128 Submit to Special Issue

Guest Editors

Assoc. Prof. Dan Huang

Email: hiwactb@163.com

Affiliation: School of Mechanical and Intelligent Manufacturing, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Shaoshan South Road, No. 498, Changsha, 410004, China

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Research Interests: advanced drying technologies, heat and mass transfer optimization in thermal processing, multiscale modeling of drying processes, sustainable energy utilization in drying systems, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications

Summary

Drying is a critical unit operation across industries, including agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, chemicals, and waste management. Despite its widespread use, conventional drying methods often suffer from high energy consumption, environmental emissions, and inefficiencies in handling diverse materials. Recent advancements in heat and mass transfer science, renewable energy integration, and smart process control offer transformative opportunities to address these challenges. This Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge research on drying technologies that prioritize sustainability, scalability, and interdisciplinary innovation.

This Special Issue invites contributions that explore:
· Novel Drying Technologies: Microwave, infrared, hybrid drying, and AI-driven systems, supercritical CO drying, spray freeze-drying, pulsed electric field-assisted drying.
· Mathematical Modeling: CFD, thin-layer drying models, and machine learning for process optimization, Multiscale computational models (CFD, DEM, machine learning) for process design, Lifecycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis of drying systems.
· Sustainability: Solar drying, waste heat recovery, and low-carbon footprint methods, Circular economy approaches (e.g., valorization of drying byproducts).
· Nutrient Preservation: Impact of pretreatments, drying kinetics on vitamins, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds.
· Industrial Applications: Scalable drying systems, automation, and quality control.

Suggested Themes:
· Energy-efficient drying for industrial decarbonization
· Heat and mass transfer in complex porous media
· Drying of hygroscopic and non-hygroscopic materials
· Smart drying systems with IoT and real-time monitoring
· Environmental and policy implications of drying technologies

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