In this paper a two-dimensional numerical analysis of heat and moisture transfer during drying of a cylindrical object is presented. Drying is a process of simultaneous heat and moisture transfer whereby moisture is vaporized by means of a drying fluid (e.g., air), as it passes over a moist object. The two-dimensional analysis of heat and moisture transfer during drying of a cylindrical object is carried out using an explicit finite-difference approach. Temperature and moisture distributions inside the moist objects are obtained for different time periods and the results predicted from the present analysis are compared with two sets of experimental data available in the literature. A considerably high agreement is found between the predicted and measured values. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.