Modelling of heat transfer in hot pressing and impulse drying of paper

A modelling and simulation study regarding the heat transfer in hot pressing as well as in impulse drying of paper has been performed. The study is focused on modelling the heat transfer from a hot surface to a moist paper sheet and the heat transfer inside the paper sheet. The model is based on solving the equation for unsteady heat transfer by conduction. The model was compared with experimental data from a heated laboratory platen press and data from the experimental paper machine EuroFEX at the Swedish Pulp and Paper Research Institute (STFI) in Stockholm. The results in this study showed that a rather simple heat transfer model could be used to simulate the heat transfer in cases in which the temperature was moderate and the applied pressure did not exceed 0.5 MPa. It was also concluded that a paper could be regarded as a semi-infinite body for basis weights above 110 g/m(2), considering the assumptions used in the model. It was also shown that a laboratory press could simulate heat transfer in hot pressing and impulse drying with a high degree of accuracy.