This work is a study of the distribution of the air temperature in a local production drier. The tests were carried out under the conditions where the air velocity was constant and equal to 2 m/s, relative humidity varying between 60% and 80% and the temperature of drying between 45 and 52 degrees C. The tests were carried out in the drier without the trays, with empty trays and in charge. The curves of temperatures versus times was, for a given mass of product were determine experimentally and modelled using an semi-empirical correlation. This correlation takes into account the influence of the temperature, height of the tray and the mass of product par tray. The result obtained, the exponential type, approaches the model developed by Nadeau and Puigalli in 1995. This correlation established by the method of curve characteristic of drying and which takes into account only the experimental values, gives the possibility to simulate the experimental distribution of temperature in the drier. This semi-empirical model could be used to predict an optimised the temperature and or the time of drying. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.