Sheet manufacturing apparatus and sheet manufacturing method

A sheet manufacturing method comprising:

• accumulating a material containing fibers by an air flow to form a web;
• transporting the web in a transport direction;
• humidifying the web by a humidification section including
• an intake port that takes in air,
• a tank that stores water,
• a mist generation section that generates mist from the water,
• an exhaust port that opens upward and exhausts the mist and the air toward the web located above the exhaust port,
• an air duct which is provided between the intake port and the tank and through which the air passes, and
• a duct which is provided between the tank and the exhaust port and through which the mist and the air pass, the duct including
• a first duct provided above the tank and having a first top surface facing the tank,
• a second duct coupled to the first duct and disposed downstream in a flow direction of the mist and the air relative to the first duct, the second duct having a second top surface, and
• a third duct disposed downstream in the flow direction relative to the second duct and coupled to the exhaust port, and
• the first top surface and the second top surface defining a top surface of the duct, the first top surface and the second top surface being directly connected to each other,
• the first top surface being higher than the second top surface such that the first duct becomes a space in which the mist and the air are retained;
• and
• pressurizing the humidified web and compressing the web into a sheet shape, the humidifying of the web being performed by
• taking in air at the intake port,
• generating mist from the water stored in the tank at the mist generation section, and
• retaining the mist and the air at the first duct and then exhausting the mist and the air through the second duct and the third duct to the web from the exhaust port.