PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AN INDIRECT NATU-RAL-CONVECTION SOLAR DRYER FOR BEEF DRYING IN ABECHE, CHAD

Meat preservation is a major challenge in Sahelian regions due to high ambient temperatures and the lack of refrigeration infrastructure. In Abeche,Chad,traditional open air drying exposes meat to contamination and results in uneven dry-ing. This study aimed to design, construct, and evaluate the performance of an in-direct natural-convection solar dryer adapted to local climatic conditions.The dryer was built using locally available materials and tested with beef slices of 35 mm thickness. Thermal parameters (temperature and relative humidity) and drying kinetics were monitored during the experiments. The results showed that the dryer achieved internal air temperatures up to 58 C, with an average temper-ature increase of about 17 C compared to ambient conditions (37,43 C). This allowed a significant reduction in drying time from 2,3 days in open-air drying to approximately 15,20 hours in the solar dryer.The final moisture content of the dried beef reached approximately 18 ,26%, en-suring improved preservation and hygienic quality. The results demonstrate that the indirect natural-convection solar dryer is an efficient, low-cost, and suitable technology for beef drying under the climatic conditions of Abeche, Chad.