%0 Journal Article
%T Determination of Moisture Diffusivity during Drying of Mortar Cement: Experimental and Modeling Study
%J International Journal of Energy Engineering
%@ 2163-1905
%D 2013
%I 
%R 10.5923/j.ijee.20130301.01
%X The aim of this study is the experimental characterization of the behaviour of a mortar during convective drying. We focalise on mortar that has a rate water-cement of 0.5. The drying tests are developed in a micro-convective dryer that can use samples weighing from 0 to 8g. The advantage of these experiments is to reproduce the natural conditions that can be found during the treatment of the mortar-atmosphere problems. The response of the drying curve or the drying kinetic depends on the applied drying conditions. So, the temperature of the air varies from 60¡æ to 130¡æ, the velocity of the air is changed from 2 m.s-1 to 5 m. s-1 and the relative humidity is kept less than 1.7%. The comparison between the experimental results and the proposed analytical solutions of the equation of diffusion represented by Fick¡¯s law, applied for a finite shape, allows determination of the values of the diffusion coefficient. It has a value of 1.71¡Á10-10 m2.s-1 at 60¡æ, 13.69¡Á10-10 m2.s-1 at 90¡æ and 16.27¡Á10-10 m2.s-1 at 130¡æ. Calculation of the activation energy and the D0 constant are also possible.
%K Thermal Energy
%K Convective Drying
%K Diffusion Coefficient
%K Operating Conditions
%U http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.ijee.20130301.01.html