Fractional Modeling of Coupled Heat and Moisture Transfer with Gas-Pressure-Driven Flow in Raw Cotton

This study introduces a multidimensional mathematical model and a robust numerical algorithm with second-order accuracy for modeling the complex coupled processes of heat and moisture transfer with gas-pressure-driven flow, based on time-fractional differential equations (with Caputo derivatives of order 0 < α ≤ 1), which capture the memory effects and anomalous diffusion inherent in heterogeneous porous media. The proposed model integrates conductive and convective heat transfer; moisture diffusion and phase change; and pressure dynamics within the pore space and their bidirectional couplings. It also incorporates environmental interactions through boundary conditions for heat and moisture exchange with the ambient air; internal heat and moisture release; transient influx of solar radiation; and material heterogeneity, where all transport coefficients are spatially variable functions. To solve this nonlinear and coupled system, we developed a high-order, stable finite-difference scheme. The numerical algorithm employs an alternating direction-implicit approach, which ensures computational efficiency while maintaining numerical stability. We demonstrate the algorithm’s capability through numerical simulations that monitor and predict the spatiotemporal evolution of coupled transport temperature, moisture content, and pressure fields. The results reveal how heterogeneity, diurnal solar radiation, and internal sources create localized hot spots, moisture accumulation zones, and pressure gradients that significantly influence the overall dynamics of storage and drying processes.