Numerical simulation and experimental validation of a forced convection solar dryer for North African Thuya wood stacks under meteorological data of Essaouira city (Morocco)

Abstract

The present study aimed at evaluating a forced convection solar dryer for Thuya wood drying. A heat and mass transfer model was used to analyze the behaviour of the dryer and wood during the drying process and calculations were performed by means of FORTRAN software. To validate the proposed model, a comparison study between theoretical and measured results was performed. The mean relative error (Er) was 3.5% and 6% for wood temperature and drying air temperature, respectively. Using real climatic data under which the drying experiments were conducted, Er for wood moisture content was about 2%; it was 14% in a previous study. Other drying parameters such as the equilibrium moisture content were analyzed and discussed during the drying process. Very satisfactory model-predicted results were obtained. The drying air conditions were also considered and the results indicated that for different drying air velocities (0.5, 1, and 2 m/s), the drying time was shorter for higher velocities. Additionally, theoretical investigations of the studied wood showed that it is important to increase the drying air velocity for the thicker boards to reduce the effect of thickness and improve the drying kinetic.

KEYWORDS:

• Solar dryer
• model validation
• wood moisture content
• drying air
• Thuya wood

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no potential conflict of interest.