A new air dehydration process for wood dryers - part I. Kinetic and quality of drying

In conventional wood dryers, air is dehumidified by condensation or by its partial remove. A new air dehydration process is proposed for low temperatu re convective wood drying. This process consists in using an absorber worki ng with an organic absorbent, the triethylene glycol (TEG) that is pulveris ed in a venturi type of device. The adaptation of this process well known f or hydrocarbon gas dehydration and its interest for wood drying operations are discussed. The prototype installation is presented and the impact of th e absorption on the evolution on drying cycles are investigated. The perfor mances of the absorber are evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively. The average drying kinetic is quantified with a global mass transfer coefficien t and the drying quality is characterised through the measurements of defec ts generated during drying.