We have developed and investigated a 1D-model for the interaction between a stack of wood and an impinging electromagnetic field. Maxwell's equations are used to model the electromagnetic interaction and each layer in a stack of boards has been modeled as a homogenous lossy dielectric slab.

The main reason for developing this model has been to investigate the possibility of measuring the moisture content of wood inside a drying kiln using electromagnetic waves.

Our investigations show that it is in principle possible to measure the moisture content, since the electromagnetic field is sensitive to changes in the moisture content of the wood. We also show that it might be possible to measure the average moisture content, without detailed knowledge of the distribution of moisture content between different boards.