Computational and experimental analysis of high temperature thermal treatment of wood based on ThermoWood technology

Heat treatment of wood at relatively high temperatures (in the range of 180–240 °C) is an effective method to improve the dimensional stability and increase biological durability of wood. In this article, a coupling method is presented for high thermal treatment of a wood based on ThermoWood technology. A three-dimensional mathematical model describing simultaneous unsteady heat and moisture transfer between a gas phase and a solid phase during heat treatment has been developed. The conservation equations for the wood sample are obtained using diffusion equation with variable diffusion coefficients and the 3-dimensional incompressible Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes equations have been solved for the flow field. The experimental results and model predictions were found to be in good agreement.