Hot-pressing process modeling for medium density fiberboard (MDF)
Noberto M. Nigro, Mario A. Storti
TL;DR
The paper tackles heat and mass transfer modeling in MDF hot-pressing by developing a conservative, multiphase finite-element model that includes convective effects on phase change. It combines averaged mixture theory with a robust numerical scheme (SUPG stabilization and implicit Newton iterations) to solve the coupled energy, moisture, and air-transport equations. Key contributions include a modified energy balance that accounts for evaporation-heat in convection, a conservative steam-mass balance, and detailed transport-property formulations (permeability, diffusivity, and sorption heat) tailored to MDF. The results demonstrate the model’s ability to reproduce central-temperature and moisture dynamics, capture border effects, and offer a tool for optimizing press cycles and density profiles in MDF manufacturing.
Abstract
In this paper we present a numerical solution for the mathematical modeling of the hot-pressing process applied to medium density fiberboard. The model is based in the work of Humphrey[82], Humphrey and Bolton[89] and Carvalho and Costa[98], with some modifications and extensions in order to take into account mainly the convective effects on the phase change term and also a conservative numerical treatment of the resulting system of partial differential equations.