Cotton Ginning Research Unit USDA-ARS Stoneville, MS

Results from Listening Session

and Research Highlights

Top Issues Prioritized List from Stoneville Gin Lab

1. Seed loss throughout the gin process – find causes, reduce losses 2. Plastic contamination in fiber/bales – detect, remove with/without detection 3. “Airless” gin – quantify economics, examine some engineering limits 4. Longer staple upland cotton – does fiber damage relate to fiber length using

current equipment? 5. One ton/large bales – quantify economics 6. Study the appropriate amount of pre-cleaning in the gin 7. Improve moisture management and monitoring – from harvest through bale

storage 8. Study problems related to seed size, especially small seed, cleaning and ginning 9. Develop equipment to measure mass flow in the gin 10.Reduction and removal of bark and grass 11.Roller ginning Upland cotton in the Eastern US – quality improvement,

economics 12.Perform fiber quality measurements in the gin

Removing Plastic from Seed Cotton • US cotton historically had low

contamination • Contamination levels have been rising • Sheet plastic is a problem • Primarily agricultural mulch and

grocery bags • Also some from round module wrap • Gin machinery does not reliably remove

the plastic

Plastic Removal

• Higher air flow rates, lower seed cotton processing rates increase plastic removal

• Smaller pieces removed more efficiently

• Important to remove plastic before it enters the gin!

“Less Air” Gin • Fans use over half the electricity at gins • Minimum air velocity recommendation

is largely based on experience • Control system could be used to reduce

velocity and save significant energy • Minimum air velocity depends on seed

cotton flow rate, air density (changes with temperature), and pipe diameter

• Example gin conditions: – 20” pipe, air at 200°F, 21 bph – Minimum velocity = 2940 fpm – Lower seed cotton flow rates or

dryer temperatures reduce minimum velocity

Seed Cotton Cleaners

• Gins commonly operate at 3-4 bph/ft • More material removed at lower rates • Possibly some effect of rate on fiber

loss, cultivar more important factor • No effect of rate on leaf grade, fiber

quality • Extractor-feeder and lint cleaner

operated at low rate • Increasing machine speeds increased

foreign matter removal and fiber loss • No effect of cylinder or saw speeds on

leaf grades or turnout • All good leaf grades, averaged 2 before

lint cleaner

• New ginning line, estimated completion in ???

• Ginning rates (per ft of width) comparable to commercial gins

• Cylinder cleaners will be air-fed, similar to commercial gins

• All machine speeds will be adjustable

• Planned tests – Processing rates and cleaning – Ginning rates, fiber quality, and

energy use

New Gin Research Equipment

Measuring Bale Moisture Content

• Commercial sensors examined at gins in three states

• Over 700 bales at each gin • All meters had relatively low

accuracy • Tex-Max performed well –

but read considerably too high

Delmhorst Corrected for Temperature

• 7.1% mc without temp correction

• 113° Mean bale temp (-1% for every 20°F)

• 4.9% mc after correction

Tex-Max with and without offset

Seed Cotton Mass Flow Measurement Pressure Drop Across Blowbox

Due to friction with air

Due to acceleration of seed cotton

Ginning

Cotton

CoveringRoller

Seed

Stationary

RotaryKnife

Knife

Lint

Carryover

Seed

Roller

High Speed Roller Ginning

• Mid-south varieties • Higher turnout,

improved fiber quality

Ginning Research Activities Research Locations

Cotton Ginning Research Unit - Stoneville, MS

Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Lab

- Las Cruces, NM

Cotton Production and Processing Unit

-Lubbock, TX

2016 Cotton Ginners School Southwest – April 2016

Western - May 2016 Stoneville - June 2016

– Level 1, 2, and 3 (3-day) – Continuing Education Topics (2-day)

• Ginning technology review • Air – measurement, design, and regulations? • Harvesting and by-product utilization? • Suggestions for topics

The Future of Cotton Ginning

Ginners must look for every opportunity to improve the bottom line by: • Increasing Capacity • Increasing Volume • Increasing Value • Reduced labor and operating costs • Provide Additional Services

2008 Beltwide Cotton Conference