Performance of Mixed Solar Dryer for Meat in the Sahel Area of Niger

In this article, we investigate the possibility of improving the performance of a mixed solar dryer designed for meat drying. The drying process takes place under an average ambient temperature of 35.5°C. The maximum solar radiation intensities recorded during the two test days were 999 W/m² and 1072 W/m², respectively. The average solar radiation measured between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. during the test days was 841.91 W/m². The experiments were conducted on fresh meat over two (2) days. On the first day, the mass of fresh meat, or initial mass (min), was 32.9 kg. At the end of drying, the final mass (mf) was 9.03 kg, corresponding to a mass reduction rate (MRR) of 72.5%. On the second day, the initial mass (min) was 30 kg, and after drying, the final mass (mf) was 9.90 kg, corresponding to a mass reduction rate (MRR) of 67%. To ensure proper drying, the meat was cut and spread to a thickness of 0.5 cm. The loaded test results indicate a temperature range between 33°C and 68°C, with an average drying temperature of 50.5°C across the different tray levels inside the dryer. An average air velocity of 1.8 m/s was recorded at the inlet and 6 m/s at the outlet. The exact drying time was 3 hours.