Drying of beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) timber in oscillation climates: drying time and quality

Abstract

The influence of oscillating climate conditions during the conventional drying of beech timber on drying time and drying quality has been analyzed. Three conventional drying cycles were carried out as well as nine cycles, in which the oscillations of equilibrium moisture content (EMC), temperature, and their combination were applied. The combinations of two amplitudes (10% or 20%) and two frequencies (3 or 6 h) were used in different test runs. Higher drying quality regarding casehardening was achieved both in runs with oscillations of EMC (gap values 2.2-2.4 mm) and in runs with temperature oscillations (gap values 2.3-2.4 mm) compared with conventional runs (gap values 2.5-2.9 mm). The oscillations of both temperature and EMC did not improve any of the observed parameters.