Résumé
The identifiability of the parameter set required by a multiphase diffusion-evaporation model was studied on the basis of three criteria: the sensitivity of the model output to each of the parameters, a parameter influence ranking and potential collinearity issues. This allowed to assess which parameter subsets can be safely selected from literature values, which require experimental determination, and what experimental setup/dataset increases the chances of a successful determination. The resulting parameter determination methodology, based on measurements of the moisture distribution, instead of the temperature or the average moisture histories, allowed a robust validation of the model for a food engineering application carried in a pilot-plant scale oven. Moreover, the parameter set derived from this analysis allowed the multidimensional prediction of the process variables and the use of the numerical results to propose simplifications aimed at an easier industrial application of the model.