Modeling microwave-induced pyrolysis of wood

A comprehensive mathematical model is presented for the pyrolysis of a wood block in a microwave cavity in order to provide the basis for a better understanding of the interactions between chemical and physical processes in this heating mode. The model consists of two-dimensional partial differential equations for the electromagnetic field and heat, mass and momentum transfer, which are strictly coupled. The main features of the experimentally observed thermal field are correctly predicted and a good quantitative agreement is obtained for the mass loss characteristics. A comparison is also provided with the case of conventional heating for the same sample sizes and total input power.