Experimental measurements of thermal conductivity of wood were performed using the heat flow meter and transient plane source technique. The specimens were prepared from five species of both softwoods and hardwoods widely available and used in China, with a wide range of density and moisture content. The transverse thermal conductivity of ovendry specimens is presented as a function of density and temperature up to 90°C and is compared with that along the grain direction for two select species. The influence of moisture content up to 23 percent, which is below the typical fiber saturation point of wood, on the transverse thermal conductivity is presented as well. It is shown that the transverse thermal conductivity of wood increases with density, temperature, and moisture content. Linear correlating equations are proposed in terms of these factors.
Contributor Notes
The authors are, respectively, Associate Professor, Inst. of Thermal Sci. and Power Systems, Dept. of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou, People's Republic of China (yuzitao@zju.edu.cn); Associate Professor, College of Metrological and Measurement Engineering, China Jiliang Univ., Hangzhou, People's Republic of China (xuxu@cjlu.edu.cn); Research Assistant, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Auburn Univ., Auburn, Alabama (lzf0002@tigermail.auburn.edu); Professor, Inst. of Thermal Sci. and Power Systems, Dept. of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou, People's Republic of China (huyacai@zju.edu.cn); and Professor, State Key Lab. of Clean Energy Utilization, Zhejiang Univ., Hangzhou, People's Republic of China (kfcen@zju.edu.cn). This paper was received for publication in December 2010. Article no. 10-00075.