Efficient Energy Recovery with Wood Drying Heat Pumps

This article presents a 13-m3 wood dryer coupled with a 5.6-kW (compressor power input) heat pump. Drying tests with hardwood species such as yellow birch and hard maple were completed in order to determine the system's energy performance. Supplementary heating to compensate for the dryer heat losses was supplied using electrical coils or steam exchangers. The heat pump running profiles and dehumidification performance in terms of volumes removed and water extraction rates, coefficients of performance, and specific moisture extraction rates were determined for two all-electrical and two hybrid drying tests. The hardwood drying curves, share of the final moisture content, and final quality of the dried wood stacks, as well as total drying energy consumption and costs, were determined for each drying run. Finally, the total energy consumption of the drying cycles using a heat pump was compared with that of a conventional drying cycle using natural gas as a single energy source.