Infrared vacuum drying unit

The research was carried out at the expense of the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 23-76-01090, https://rscf.ru/project/23-76-01090/. The main objective of the grant agreement is to create an energy-efficient technology for drying lumber using low-temperature infrared radiation generators in a vacuum chamber. The article provides a brief description of the previously obtained research results on matching the spectral characteristics of wood species with the optical properties of an IR radiation generator, as well as a theoretical description of the process of infrared drying of lumber in a vacuum chamber. The results obtained made it possible to refine the input data for calculating the design parameters of the prototype infrared vacuum drying unit and its main components. Based on the results of the calculations, design documentation was developed, according to which an installation prototype was assembled. A description of the design and technical characteristics of the installation is presented, as well as the results of a test run at idle and with lumber loading – an uncut birch board (thickness – 27 mm; length – 2 m; average humidity – 48%), which was dried to 9.5%.