Energy Efficiency of Industrial Wood Drying: Comparative Analysis of Convective and Vacuum Drying Based on an Operational Case Study

Artificial wood drying is an energy-intensive industrial process with major economic and environmental implications. This study evaluates the energy performance of convective and vacuum drying in a Hungarian wood-processing plant, with separate analysis of one summer and one winter convective cycle. For convective drying, measured energy use was compared with literature-based theoretical estimates. The measured thermal demand exceeded the theoretical estimate by approximately 17 % in winter, whereas the summer deviation remained within ± 4 %. Electrical demand was markedly lower in summer; however, as only full-kiln electrical data were available, this difference is interpreted cautiously as the combined effect of fan duty, cycle duration, moisture condition, and seasonal operating context rather than as a direct fan-level effect. On an annual total basis, the vacuum dryer consumed only about one-quarter to one-fifth as much energy as the convective system, but on a specific volume basis it showed substantially higher electrical demand. The results indicate that industrial wood-drying energy performance may be improved through heat recovery, improved thermal insulation, and more adaptive fan-control strategies. As the convective analysis was based on only two industrial cycles, the findings should be interpreted as site-specific evidence rather than generally transferable performance relationships.