Comparison of Drying Characteristics of Square Timber by Heated Platen and Radio-frequency/Vacuum Drying

Red pine(Pinus densiflora) square timbers with 14.0 cm and 16.5 cm of face size and 24 m long were dried in a vacuum-press kiln and in a radio-frequency/vacuum(RF/V) kiln to compare drying rate, moisture content(MC) distribution and specific energy. RF/V drying rate was higher than vacuum-press drying rate. The effect of size of cross section on the RF/V drying rates were more pronounced than those of vacuum-press drying. The longitudinal- and the transverse MC distribution of dried square timber showed convex profile for the vacuum-press drying and concave profile for the RF/V drying. Moisture gradient of width direction was similar to the thickness direction in vacuum-press dried square timber and was more slight than that of the thickness direction in the RF/V dried large square timber. The specific energy consumption curve increased as MC decreased. Specific energy(kWh/kg of water evaporated) of the vacuum-press process required more than that of the RF/V process.

큰 정각재의 가열판과 고주파 진공건조간 건조특성의 비교

변장 14.0 cm와 16.5 cm인 소나무 정각재의 가열판진공건조와 고주파진공건조간의 건조속도, 함수율분포와 비(比)에너지를 비교하였다. 고주파진공건조는 가열판진공건조보다 건조속도 및 변장이 건조속도에 미치는 영향이 컸었다. 가열판진공건조 목재의 재장방향, 두께방향과 폭방향의 함수율분포는 볼록 형태를 나타내었고, 고주파진공건조 목재는 오목 형태를 나타내었다. 가열판진공건조 목재의 폭방향과 두께방향간의 수분경사는 유사하였으나 고주파진공건조 목재의 경우는 폭방향의 수분경사가 두께방향보다 완만하였다. 가열판진공건조와 고주파 진공건조의 비(比)에너지곡선은 함수율이 감소할수록 증가하는 경향을 나타내었고, 가열판진공건조의 비(比)는 고주파진공건조보다 컸었다.