Modeling heat and mass transfer in the heat treatment step of yerba maté processing

The aim of this research was to estimate the leaf and twig temperature and moisture content of yerba maté branches (Ilex paraguariensis Saint Hilaire) during heat treatment, carried out in a rotary kiln dryer. These variables had to be estimated (modeling the heat and mass transfer) due to the difficulty of experimental measurement in the dryer. For modeling, the equipment was divided into two zones: the flame or heat treatment zone and the drying zone. The model developed fit well with the experimental data when water loss took place only in leaves. In the first zone, leaf temperature increa...