The high-temperature drying of a softwood board with relatively high permeability was modelled on a one-dimensional basis. The moisture-transport mechanism between " bre saturation and irreducible saturation was elucidated, and moisture #ow within the thin layer of damaged cells at the sawn surfaces of the timber board was examined. The predicted temperature and average moisture-content pro" les with respect to time were in good agreement with some experimental data from the literature. Comparison between the experimental and predicted within-board moisture-content pro"les illustrated the importance of accounting for the orientation of the growth rings with respect to the drying surfaces and the e!ect of density variations on liquid permeability at high core moisture
contents. ( 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Drying; Heat transfer; Mass transfer; Mathematical modelling; Porous media; Softwood