Stochastic finite element analysis of coupled heat and mass transfer problems with random field parameters

A first-order perturbation algorithm for the computation of mean values and variances of transient temperature and moisture fields during coupled heat and mass transfer problems with random field parameters has been developed and implemented. The algorithm is based on the Galerkin finite-element discretization of Luikov's heat and mass transfer equations for capillary porous bodies and is computationally less demanding than the Monte Carlo method. The algorithm has been programmed in MATLAB and applied to a published test case of a drying process for soybean kernels. The simulations indicate that the stochastic fluctuations of the thermophysical properties and the process conditions may cause a considerable level of uncertainty in the predicted temperatures and moisture contents inside the product