Imaging of moisture content in wood using electrical capacitance tomography

The current study investigates whether an electrical imaging modality, electrical capacitance tomography (ECT), could provide information on the moisture content in wood. In ECT, a set of electrodes are placed around the surface of the object, and based on electrical capacitance measurements from the surface, the spatial distribution of the electrical permittivity inside the object is reconstructed. In this experimental study, water is infiltrated in a wood sample for 7 days, and ECT measurements are sequentially collected during the absorption of water. The reconstructed ECT images show a constant increase of electrical permittivity in the location of water absorption. The results support the feasibility of ECT for imaging the water content in wood.Peer reviewe