The drying of a capillary porous packed bed of glass beads by microwave ene
rgy using a rectangular wave-guide was investigated numerically and experim
entally. The effects of moisture content. particle size and microwave power
level on the drying kinetics were examined. Most importantly, this work fo
cuses on the prediction of the distribution of the electromagnetic field as
well as the temperature and moisture distribution within the capillary por
ous medium. The model, which combines the electromagnetic, temperature, and
moisture fields, predicted results which were in good agreement with the e
xperimental data.