SOLAR DRIER: A LOW-COST ALTERNATIVE TO DRY WOOD SAWN IN SIERRA JUÁREZ, OAXACA

Abstract

The details of the design and construction of a prototype of solar drier for sawn wood with a capacity of 1.7 m³ are described. Materials available in the local market were used for its construction, and its functioning in drying Pinus spp. wood, 25 mm thick, 1.8 m long and of variable widths was evaluated. The structure of the drier was built with metallic tubes and reinforced with wood frames. The drying chamber was built with greenhouse type plastic and together with the drier was assembled on concrete floor of 10 cm thickness. Two drying assays were performed; one outdoors, exposed to environmental conditions, and another one in the solar drier. It was determined that the wood in the solar drier reached a moisture content below 12 % in 16 days, while the wood exposed to drying outdoors for 25 days kept its moisture content above 17 %. In the solar drier the wood presented few defects (cracks, slits and stains) in minimal percentages, which can be easily eliminated with brushing.