Original scientific paper
Numerical Simulation of Warm-air Drying of Mexican Softwood (Pinus pseudostrobus): An Empirical and Mechanistic Approach
S. Sandoval-Torres
; Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Hornos No. 1003, Col. Noche Buena, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, México
E. Hernández-Bautista
; Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Hornos No. 1003, Col. Noche Buena, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, México
J. Rodríguez-Ramírez
; Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR Unidad Oaxaca, Hornos No. 1003, Col. Noche Buena, Santa Cruz Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, México
A. Carrillo Parra
; Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Carr. Nal. Km. 145, 67700 P.O. Box 041 Linares, Nuevo León, México
Abstract
In this work, the numerical simulation of Mexican softwood (Pinus pseudostrobus) drying is presented by solving a phenomenological model. The model was developed by considering the heat and mass balance in the representative elementary volume, which involves the solid, liquid and gas phases. We solved a system of partial differential equations by numerical factorization in COMSOL multiphysics 3.5a©. Three primary variables were solved: the moisture content, the temperature, and the dry-air mass. The numerical results were compared against both experimental data and a semi-empirical model (Characteristic Drying Curve) previously published. The warm-air drying of Mexican softwood was simulated on a one-dimensional basis by considering two experimental conditions: air flow temperature at 60 and 80 ºC. Relative humidity was not controlled in the tunnel dryer. Simulated drying kinetics showed good agreement with the experimental data.
Keywords
Warm-air drying; phenomenological model; multi-physics; numerical simulation; Pinus pseudostrobus wood
Hrčak ID:
118020
URI
Publication date:
21.3.2014.
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