Determination of rational parameters for energy efficient drying process of different wood species

Abstract

Drying the feedstock is a process of moisture removal from the surface and bulk of material. Initial wood moving to the processing always contains a certain amount of moisture. The drying process of wood needed for the conversion of wet material into industrial one with the appropriate functional orientation. The variety of commodity products, which can be made from the basis of the wood, determines the need for a differentiated approach to the processing of various species of wood while providing maximum energy efficiency of the process. The study of the structure of various species of wood allowed to define its relationship with the kinetics of evaporation of free and structured moisture in different periods of drying. The kinetic dependence of drying for samples of different wood species and the speeds of the processes are defined. The apparent grade of the moisture removal rate from various species was identified, the coefficient showing the correlation between the characteristics of the samples drying process and their internal structure was proposed. With these coefficients, the minimizing problem of the energy consumption of any amount moisture removal from the specific wood specie in the minimum time was solved.The estimation of the energy consumption for the implementation of the drying process of wood of different species based on an analysis of the impact of their internal structure was proposed. Based on the data a defensible approach to the process of drying wood by differentiation of species, their properties and the initial moisture content in the wood was produced.