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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #116436
Title: OPTIMIZING THE SPEED OF THE CLEANING CYLINDER ON THE BATT-LESS LINT CLEANER

Author
item Gillum, Marvis
item ARMIJO, CARLOS - LAS CRUCES NM
item McAlister Iii, David

Submitted to: Transactions of the ASAE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/12/2000
Publication Date: 6/1/2001
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The efficiency of the existing machines used to clean Pima cotton lint in a roller ginning plant is low. The efficiency of cleaning Pima cotton can be improved by using a saw-type cleaner. Coupling a roller gin stand directly to a saw-type cleaner improved the cleaning efficiency of Pima cotton without compromising any of its fiber properties. The optimum cleaning efficiency occurred when the cylinder was run between 750 and 900 rpm. By using a more-efficient method to clean Pima cotton, the producer may have a higher-priced, more-marketable product to sell.

Technical Abstract: An experiment was run to determine the optimum speed of the cleaning cylinder on the Batt-Less Lint Cleaner. The Batt-Less Lint Cleaner is an experimental machine that combines the roller-ginning and lint-cleaning functions into one unit. The ginning section of the machine is a standard roller gin stand, while the lint cleaning section consists of a saw-type cleaning cylinder. Because the ginned fiber is guided directly onto the cleaning cylinder without forming a batt, a feed-roll/feed-bar assembly (which damages the fiber) is not needed. The control treatment of the experiment bypassed the cleaning cylinder of the Batt-Less Lint Cleaner and instead cleaned the fiber with mill-type/air-jet lint cleaners. The experimental treatments varied the speed of the cleaning cylinder from 300 to 1050 rpm in increments of 150 rpm. Results show that as the speed of the cleaning cylinder on the Batt-Less Lint Cleaner increased, lint trash content decreased, opening and cleaning waste (prior to carding) decreased lint loss increased, and cleaning efficiency increased. Lint turnout and bale value were not significantly different due to treatment. With the exception of color grade, very short fibers, and 36s yarn strength, all other fiber and yarn properties were not significantly different due to treatment and at acceptable levels. Based on the results of the experiment, the optimum speed of the cleaning cylinder was found to be 750 and 900 rpm.