Fig.: Particle size distribution of a detailed simulation of a drying wood chip bed as a basis for deriving a simplified model, as well as the course of the relative humidity in the bed after a drying time of 4 minutes.

The aim of the CFD simulation is to calculate the concentration field for water vapour, as well as the pressure, velocity and temperature field of a belt drying system.

The chip bed is described by a particle model for different particle classes.

On the one hand, the results serve to assess the flow conditions in a prototype, in particular the mutual influence of the different fans, as well as the effect of this on the drying process. On the other hand, they form the basis for a simplified modelling of the process within the framework of a model-based control.