Computer simulations of a progressive kiln with longitudinal air circulation

The progressive kiln with longitudinal air circulation is a very common type of wood drying kiln in Sweden. The possibilities of regulating this type of kiln are, however, limited and it is therefore important to study the influence of operational parameters on the drying process. The problem is very suitable for computer simulations and this report shows that both a commercial kiln and an experiment can be successfully simulated. A simple diffusion model is used for the description of the moisture transport with the special boundary conditions that appear in a progressive kiln. The humidity of the air in the kiln is obtained as a function of the time and that information is important for estimating the risk of mold growth. Different operational cases can be compared and in commercial kilns it is possible to suggest actions that may increase the quality of the dried wood.

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