Experimental determination of poplar (Populus nigra L.) wood drying curves

Abstract

Fresh plant material is degraded quickly and very easily. A possibility to avoid its degradation is drying. Drying is an energy-intensive operation and reducing of energy consumption means improving the energy balance and the economy of production. An important indicator of drying efficiency is the relative rate of drying. Curves of the relative drying rate for poplar (Populus nigra L.) wood were determined in an experimental oven. Freshly harvested samples were compared to samples of poplars that were stored between March and December on an outdoor uncovered area. The rate of stored wood drying was higher in comparison with fresh wood under comparable drying conditions.

Keywords

• drying
• biomass
• bioenergy
• energy consumption
• poplar
• energy wood