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A commercial cotton contamination cleaner developed and used to combat the plastic contamination problem in Chinese cotton was tested to compare its performance at removing typical plastics found in U.S. cotton to that of conventional cotton gin seed cotton cleaners. Seed cotton “spiked” with pieces of shopping bags, single-layer non-tacky round module wrap (RMW), and three-layer RMW of various sizes was introduced into the machines. Overall, the contamination cleaner was more effective at removing plastic contamination than a conventional cotton gin stick machine and inclined cleaner. Increasing the airflow to the contamination cleaner improved plastic removal. Overall capture of plastic across all sizes and types increased from 16 to 48% when airflow was increased from 17,500 to 30,200 m3/hr (10,300 to 17,800 ft3/min). However, seed cotton captured with the plastic also increased from 1.4 to 34 kg (3 to 75 lb) per bale. Shopping bag material and one-layer non-tacky RMW (lighter, pliable) were more effectively removed than three-layer RMW (heavier, stiffer), and smaller plastic pieces were more effectively removed than larger pieces. All the machines tested removed about the same amount of cotton trash (about 13.6 kg or 30 lb per bale).

HighlightsCotton gin saws 0.91 and 1.14 mm thick were compared.Thicker saws had approximately 10% lower processing rate at full motor load.Thicker saws used about 35% more energy to gin the same amount of lint.Abstract. Most cotton fiber (lint) is separated from the seed by gin saw teeth that pull the lint between metal bars (ribs). These ribs are spaced close enough to each other that the seeds cannot pass with the lint. Cotton gin saws are available in three thicknesses, 0.9144, 0.9398, and 1.143 mm (0.036, 0.037, and 0.045 in.). No data from controlled experiments has been published which compares the effect of saw thickness on the economically important performance measures gin processing rate and energy consumption. Two shafts were prepared by installing, at the proper spacing, 406 mm (16 in.) diameter saws of 0.9144 and 1.143 mm thickness for testing on a reduced-width (46-saw) Continental Double Eagle gin stand with constant rib spacing at the USDA-ARS Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Energy consumption was recorded for target processing rates 4.88 and 6.08 g saw-1 s-1 using pre-cleaned seed cotton grown in New Mexico, Texas, and Mississippi in a randomized complete block experiment with five replicates. On this equipment we found that the thicker saws averaged 90% (4.69 g saw-1 s-1) the processing rate of the thinner saws (5.21 g saw-1 s-1). Net ginning energy of the 1.143 mm gin saws was 26.5 W-h kg-1 compared to 19.7 W-h kg-1 for the 0.914 mm saws, or about 35% more energy. Results were consistent for cottons from all three regions. Thicker saws are less likely to break under harsh conditions at the ends of the gin stand and are still recommend for use there, but there appears to be no advantage with regard to processing rate or energy use to installing thicker saws across the full width of the gin stand if rib spacing remains unchanged. Keywords: Cotton gin, Energy use, Gin saw thickness, Processing rate.

Automation provides key benefits to production plants: increased speed of production, improved quality control, enhanced worker safety, and reduced production costs. Numerous types of systems use automated control throughout the world; in cotton gins, there are a few main systems that rely on some form of control: material flow, fire suppression, dryer temperature, press operation, and moisture restoration systems. This chapter provides an overview of control systems in general along with key examples of control systems in use in U.S. cotton gins.

HighlightsExperimental high-capacity seed-cotton reclaimers were evaluated for the growing high-speed roller-ginning industry.The experimental reclaimers minimized the amount of seed-cotton loss compared to the conventional reclaimer, but had more seed loss than a conventional reclaimer.The conventional reclaimer had the lowest combined seed and lint loss when processing Pima cotton.An experimental reclaimer based on a current cotton gin machine had seed and lint losses nearly $10 per cotton bale less than the conventional reclaimer when processing Upland cotton.Abstract. In a roller ginnery, a reclaimer machine removes partially-ginned or unginned seed cotton (carryover) from the mixture of carryover and ginned cottonseed that is expelled from the roller-gin stand during operation and returns the carryover to the gin stand for re-ginning. Conventional seed-cotton reclaimers are marginally adequate in their capacity to handle the increased carryover that high-speed roller ginning produces. Overloading a reclaimer often leads to choke-ups and downtime for the ginnery. The objective of this study was to develop and test high-capacity reclaimers. A modified 3-saw cylinder stick machine and a modified 2-saw cylinder gin-stand feeder were tested and compared to a conventional reclaimer. The saw-cylinders in the modified machines were operated at standard full speed, 1/2 of full speed, and 3/4 of full speed. Both Pima and Upland cotton were included in this study because there is a sizable amount of roller-ginned Upland cotton. Results showed that the experimental reclaimers reclaimed more carryover than the conventional reclaimer. An effective reclaimer will 1) reclaim carryover without also capturing residual seed that will likely be removed with cotton trash when returned to the gin stand feeder (seed loss) and 2) allow seed to pass through to the seed storage while minimizing the amount of residual carryover that escapes with the seed (carryover loss). The experimental reclaimers minimized the amount of residual carryover loss, but they had more residual seed loss than the conventional reclaimer. Increasing the saw-cylinder speeds of the experimental reclaimers decreased the residual seed loss but increased the residual carryover loss. Estimates of the value of the lost seed and of the lint on the lost carryover revealed that the conventional reclaimer had the lowest combined loss of $3.56 per bale when processing Pima cotton and the experimental 2-saw feeder with saw-cylinders operating at full speed had the lowest combined loss of $6.89 per bale when processing Upland cotton. The results suggest that losses of lint and seed may be further reduced by using a combination in series of different types of reclaimers to take advantage of each of their respective best features. Keywords: Cotton ginning, Roller ginning, Seed-cotton reclaimer.

A comprehensive gin maintenance program is critical to optimizing the efficiency of a ginning system and affects labor, energy, and maintenance costs; safety, downtime, daily throughput, fiber properties, and customer satisfaction. A comprehensive gin maintenance program includes a sound maintenance philosophy, downtime and repair documentation and guidelines, a dormant season repair program, ginning season preventive maintenance, and a ginning season repair program. Implementing a comprehensive gin maintenance program in dormant and ginning seasons will minimize the frequency and length of downtime. This will maximize throughput, reducing energy and labor costs per bale, benefitting both the gin’s customers and its owners. Example downtime, inspection, repair and preventive maintenance reports are provided.

There is a need to develop cotton ginning methods that better preserve length uniformity, a fiber characteristic that is critical with newer, more efficient air-jet spinning technology. This report summarizes results of harvesting and ginning studies within the past fifteen years that included High Volume Instrument (HVI) fiber length uniformity index (uniformity). The studies concluded that cultivar was an important determining factor and some production practices, such as early defoliation and stripper harvesting, could also reduce uniformity. Uniformity was not adversely affected by seed cotton cleaning machinery (cylinder cleaners and stick machines). Saw ginning reduced uniformity more than did roller ginning, from 0.8 to 2.0%. Uniformity was negatively affected by the saw-type lint cleaner, from 0.4 to 1.1% per stage. Moisture restoration before lint cleaning partially mitigated (0.5%) lint cleaning’s decrease in uniformity. Studies reviewed in this report suggest that most of the decrease in uniformity occurs at the saw-type lint cleaner feed bar. Although uniformity was not affected by lint cleaner grid bars, faster lint cleaner saw cylinder speeds did reduce uniformity. Roller gin-type lint cleaners reduced uniformity 0.2 to 0.8%, which was less than the reduction caused by saw-type lint cleaners.

Successful data acquisition on mobile platforms, such as tractors, requires the provision of protection for the sensitive electronics, as these platforms are inherently rife with electrical transients that have sufficient energy to cause damage to unprotected instrumentation. Unfortunately, though there are many protection options for industrial applications (i.e., those installed at 120VAC), off-the-shelf products for mobile protection are extremely limited and, after a survey, were determined to provide insufficient protection. The objective of this study was to identify the requirements for the protection of mobile platform instrumentation and equipment, and/or identify circuits that can perform this function. A literature review of electrical transients typical to automotive electronics was performed and circuit simulations were performed using open source software. Off-the-shelf circuit components were tested, via simulation, in various configurations until a design emerged that provided adequate protection from all surge classes. To ensure protection of valuable data, one of the design criteria was to ensure the circuit would continue to supply power to the personal computer (PC), and electronics, even during a load-dump event. The circuit was also designed to provide protection from electrical fast transients and electrostatic discharges. The reported circuit is capable of protecting a computer and data acquisition electronics installed on 12 VDC mobile equipment. This simple, inexpensive design meets Automotive Electronics Council requirements and uses readily available components without a specially fabricated circuit board.

New mexico pod–type green chile (Capsicum annuum) is one of New Mexico’s leading horticultural commodities. Cultivated acreage of green chile in New Mexico is threatened because of the high cost and insufficiently available labor for hand harvest. Therefore, mechanization is necessary to sustain the industry. Successful mechanization depends on harvester design coupled with plant architecture that optimizes harvest yield and quality. Harvested green fruit must be whole, unbroken, and unblemished for fresh and processed markets, so harvester design and plant architecture must maximize yield while minimizing fruit damage. In two trials conducted at the New Mexico State University Agricultural Science Center in Los Lunas, six cultivars (AZ-1904, Machete, PHB-205, E9, PDJ.7, and RK3-35) were evaluated for plant architecture and harvest efficiency with a double, open-helix mechanical harvester with two counter-rotating heads. Cultivars were direct seeded on 17 Apr. 2015 and 14 Apr. 2016 and managed according to standard production practices. Plant architecture traits, plant width, plant height, height to first primary branch, distance between first primary branch and first node, basal stem diameter, and number of basal branches were measured before harvest. Mechanical harvest yield components, which included marketable fruit, broken fruit, ground fall losses, unharvested fruit remaining on branches, and nonpod plant material, were assessed after once-over destructive harvests on 2 Sept. 2015 and 31 Aug. 2016. Fruit width, fruit length, and pericarp thickness were measured from a representative sample of 10 marketable fruit. In 2015, ‘AZ-1904’ and ‘PDJ.7’ had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more marketable yield than ‘Machete’ that had the least marketable yield. No statistically significant differences were found in marketable yield in 2016. When both years were combined, ‘PDJ.7’ had significantly more nonpod plant material harvested and the plants were taller than all other cultivars. We found mechanical harvest performance to be significantly affected by plant height, with shorter plants yielding less marketable fruit. Despite differences in fruit wall thickness, no significant differences were measured in broken fruit. In 2015, ‘AZ-1904’ had significantly less basal branches per plant, reducing obstruction for the picking mechanism. Harvest efficiencies (marketable harvested fruit yield as a percentage of total plot yields) ranged from 64.6% to 39.3% during this 2-year trial, with the highest harvesting cultivars PDJ.7 and AZ-1904. In the future, all new mexico pod–type green chile breeding efforts for mechanical harvest must incorporate desirable plant architecture traits to increase harvest efficiencies.

In agriculture, manure and cotton gin waste are major environmental liabilities. Likewise, grass is an important organic component of municipal waste. These wastes were combined and used as substrates in a two-phase, pilot-scale anaerobic digester to evaluate the potential for biogas (methane) production, waste minimisation, and the digestate value as soil amendment. The anaerobic digestion process did not show signs of inhibition. Biogas production increased during the first 2 weeks of operation, when chemical oxygen demand and volatile fatty acid concentrations and the organic loading rate to the system were high. Chemical oxygen demand from the anaerobic columns remained relatively steady after the first week of operation, even at high organic loading rates. The experiment lasted about 1 month and produced 96.5 m3 of biogas (68 m3 of CH4) per tonne of waste. In terms of chemical oxygen demand to methane conversion efficiency, the system generated 62% of the theoretical methane production; the chemical oxygen demand/volatile solids degradation rate was 62%, compared with the theoretical 66%. The results showed that co-digestion and subsequent digestate composting resulted in about 60% and 75% mass and volume reductions, respectively. Digestate analysis showed that it can be used as a high nutrient content soil amendment. The digestate met Class A faecal coliform standards (highest quality) established in the United States for biosolids. Digestion and subsequent composting concentrated the digestate nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content by 37%, 24%, and 317%, respectively. Multi-substrate co-digestion is a practical alternative for agricultural waste management, minimisation of landfill disposal, and it also results in the production of valuable products.

Gins have become more energy efficient. However, energy costs account for 25% of the total variable costs of ginning, including seasonal labor, increasing from 15% in 1994. Recent studies found that average electricity use at gins is approximately 35 kWh per bale, down from 53 kWh per bale reported in 1980. However, gins must continue to increase efficiency to remain profitable and consumers are increasingly concerned with the sustainability of textile products. This paper reviews recent research on energy use and conservation in cotton gins and offers suggestions on ways for gin managers to reduce energy use based on this research. Gins should focus on maximizing their ginning rate and sustaining this rate as much as possible during the ginning season. Increased ginning rates will reduce per-bale costs of not only electricity and fuel, but labor as well. Maintaining consistent material flow through the gin, matching equipment capacities, and minimizing downtime allows gins to produce more bales per shift. More than half the electricity at gins is used for material handling, primarily by the large centrifugal fans used to convey materials. The cost of conveying materials should be considered when designing or updating gins. Gins should use only the volume of air necessary for consistent conveying and adequate drying and need to eliminate unnecessary friction losses in conveying systems. To reduce fuel use, dryer control systems should be used to avoid excessive drying of cotton. Insulating drying systems might be economically feasible, particularly from the burner to the mixpoint. Gins also should consider strategies to reduce the prices paid for electricity and fuel.

The objective of this article is to review the literature and describe the current technology used by U.S. cotton gins for seed cotton unloading. Unloading systems supply the gin with raw material. Their essential functions are 1) to remove non-cotton materials such as protective covers used during transport and storage and large foreign objects such as dirt clods and rocks; 2) to break apart modules, which are compacted for transport and storage, so seed cotton is in small, loose clumps that can be dried more easily and cleaned; 3) to remove green bolls and some soil; and 4) to supply the gin with a steady, controlled flow that can be interrupted if there is a problem. Changes in the way harvested cotton is packaged in the field have resulted in significant changes in unloading systems in recent years. Current recommendations and best practices are presented.

Emission abatement cyclone performance is improved by increasing collection effectiveness or decreasing energy consumption. The object of this study was to quantify the pressure drop and fine particulate (PM2.5) collection of 1D3D cyclones (H = 4Dc, h = 1Dc) at inlet velocities from 8 to 18 m s− 1 (Stk = 0.7–1.5) using heterogeneous particulate as a test material at inlet concentrations from 3 to 75 g m− 3. Cyclone exhaust was passed through filters. Laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis was used to estimate PM2.5 emissions. Response surface models showed a strong correlation between cyclone pressure loss (Euler number) and inlet velocity and predicted a 46% reduction in pressure loss for a 25% reduction in inlet velocity (Stokes number). The model for PM2.5 emissions was less definitive and, surprisingly, predicted a 31% decrease in PM2.5 emissions when operating 25% below the design inlet velocity. Operating below the design inlet velocity (at a lower Stokes number) to reduce pressure losses (Euler number) would reduce both the financial and the environmental cost of procuring electricity. The unexpected co-benefit suggested by these trials was that emission abatement may improve at the same time, though other empirical trials have shown emissions to be independent of inlet velocity and Stokes number.

New Mexican-type red and green chile (Capsicum annuum) is important to New Mexico’s identity and economy. Producers began experimenting with mechanical harvest in the mid-1960s, but efforts stalled in the 1970s. Adverse impact to production following the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement spurred renewed interest in chile mechanization. Through private and public collaboration, the red chile industry in New Mexico has successfully transitioned with more than 80% of domestic acreage currently mechanized. Green chile has proven to be more challenging with fruit damage and lack of efficient mechanical stem removal posing key obstacles. Recent identification and developments in equipment have provided necessary components for mechanization of green chile, but must be scaled-up to production volumes.

Pima cotton production is increasing in the United States, but Pima cottonseed generally contains higher concentrations of the antinutritive pigment gossypol than conventional upland cottonseed. Heating promotes the reaction of gossypol with protein, reducing gossypol absorption and toxicity. The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional value for dairy cattle of Pima cottonseed cake (PCSC) that was heated and oil largely removed by an experimental extrusion process, compared with upland cottonseed (UCS) and Pima cottonseed (PCS). The PCS had greater crude protein (CP) and ether extract, less neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), similar total gossypol, but higher (−)-gossypol isomer compared with UCS. Extrusion reduced lipid content by 73%, increased concentrations of CP, NDF, and ADF, and reduced total gossypol, (+)-gossypol, and (−)-gossypol in PCSC versus PCS. Forty lactating Holsteins (8 with ruminal cannulas) were blocked by days in milk into 5 squares in a replicated, incomplete 8 × 8 Latin square, and were fed diets containing, on a dry matter (DM) basis, 30% alfalfa silage, 31% corn silage, 21 to 25% high-moisture corn, and about 15% CP. Diets were fed as total mixed rations for ad libitum intake. Supplemental CP was from (1) solvent soybean meal (SSBM) only or 50% from SSBM plus 50% from (2) UCS, (3) PCS, (4) PCSC, (5) UCS plus PCS, and (6) UCS plus PCSC, or (7) 50% from expeller soybean meal (ESBM) plus 50% from PCS, and (8) 50% from ESBM plus 50% from PCSC. Periods were 4 wk long (total of 16 wk); production data were collected over the last 2 wk and blood and ruminal samples were taken on d 28 of each period. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). Diet affected dry matter intake, with greatest intake on diet 6 and lowest intake on diets 1 and 3. The highest milk fat content was observed on diet 5 and the greatest fat yield on diet 7; fat content and yield were lowest on diet 1 (soybean meal control). Milk fat secretion was proportional to dietary fat content, indicating that cottonseed oil was used effectively for milk fat synthesis. We observed a trend for an effect on milk protein yield with the greatest protein secretion occurring on diet 7. Milk urea was lowest on diets 3, 7, and 8. Ruminal concentrations of branched-chain volatile fatty acids were lower, or tended to be lower, when PCSC replaced either UCS or PCS in the diet, suggesting reduced degradation and increased escape of PCSC protein. Among cottonseed-containing diets, total gossypol intake was lowest on PCSC, intermediate on PCS, and highest on UCS. Total gossypol and both (+)- and (−)-isomers of gossypol were higher in blood plasma on PCS and lower on PCSC than on the corresponding diets containing UCS, indicating that the extrusion process reduced gossypol absorption. In this trial, production on diets supplemented with UCS, PCS, or PCSC was comparable to that on diets containing soybean meal.

Cyclones are widely used to separate particles from gas flows and as air emission control devices. Their cost of operation is proportional to the fan energy required to overcome their pressure drop. Evases or exit diffusers potentially could reduce exit pressure losses without affecting collection efficiency. Three rectangular evases and a radial evase with a variable opening were tested on two cyclones. Pressure drop was recorded for inlet velocities from about 10 to 20 m s− 1. The radial evase reduced cyclone pressure drop by between 8.7 and 11.9 percent when its exit area was equal to the flow area of the cyclone vortex finder or gas exit. A simple payback based on avoided energy costs was estimated to be between 3600 and 5000 h, not including installation cost.