Method and apparatus for vacuum drying wood in a collapsible container in a heated bath
AssigneeVirginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc.
InventorsZhangjing Chen, Fred M. Lamb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Wood is disposed in a container having at least one flexible wall, and vacuum is applied to the container. The flexible wall presses against a surface of the wood. The container and wood are them immersed in a heated bath (e.g. comprising water, air, or other fluids). The wood is heated by conduction through the flexible wall, and maintained at accurate temperature by the bath. The wood is thereby rapidly dried by heat and vacuum. The present invention is energy efficient, and provides rapid, uniform drying of the wood without checking.
Claims30
An apparatus for vacuum drying wood, comprising:
- a) at least one vacuum-tight container having at least one flexible wall for holding at least one piece of wood;
- b) a thermal heat source for heating the wood by conduction through the flexible wall;
- c) a vacuum pump for connection to the vacuum-tight container.
An apparatus for vacuum drying wood, comprising:
- a) at least one vacuum-tight container having at least one flexible wall for holding at least one piece of wood;
- b) a bath for immersing the container and wood;
- c) a vacuum pump for connection to the vacuum-tight container;
- and
- d) a heater for heating the bath.
A method for vacuum drying of wood, comprising the steps of:
- a) disposing at least one piece of wood in a vacuum-tight container having at least one flexible wall;
- b) applying a vacuum to the container so the flexible wall presses against the wood;
- c) heating the wood by conducting heat through the flexible wall.
An apparatus for vacuum drying wood, comprising:
- a container of sufficient size to hold wood to be vacuum dried, said container being vacuum tight, and wherein at least a portion of said container is sufficiently flexible so as to collapse against wood held within said container under the influence of vacuum pressure exerted inside said container, and where said at least a portion of said container is constructed from a material and is of a thickness which allows heat transfer from an ambient environment in which said container is located to said wood held within said container when said at least a portion of said container is collapsed against wood held within said container;
- and
- a means for connecting a vacuum source to said container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.