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ARS Home » Plains Area » Las Cruces, New Mexico » Cotton Ginning Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #284171
Title: Monitoring agricultural processing electrical energy use and efficiency

Author
item Funk, Paul
item Hardin Iv, Robert

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2012
Publication Date: 7/31/2012
Citation: Funk, P.A., Hardin Iv, R.G. 2012. Monitoring agricultural processing electrical energy use and efficiency. ASABE Annual International Meeting. PRESENTATION - Paper No. 121338018.

Interpretive Summary: Energy costs have become proportionately larger as cotton post-harvest processing facilities have utilized other inputs more efficiently. A discrepancy in energy consumption per unit processed between facilities suggests that energy could be utilized more efficiently. Cotton gin facilities were instrumented to monitor electricity use throughout the post-harvest season. Cleaning, ginning and packaging energy consumptions were comparable; large differences were observed in materials handling. In some cases motors were oversized. Energy consumption per unit processed was decreased with increasing processing rate. Energy savings can be realized by: 1) designing gins to minimize materials-handling; 2) selecting efficient motors that are closely matched to their loads; 3) maintaining equipment to minimize down-time; and 4) operating at the maximum processing rate.

Technical Abstract: Energy costs have become proportionately larger as cotton post-harvest processing facilities have utilized other inputs more efficiently. A discrepancy in energy consumption per unit processed between facilities suggests that energy could be utilized more efficiently. Cotton gin facilities were instrumented to monitor electricity use throughout the post-harvest season. Cleaning, ginning and packaging energy consumptions were comparable; large differences were observed in materials handling. In some cases motors were oversized. Energy consumption per unit processed was inversely proportional to processing rate. Energy savings can be realized by: 1) designing gins to minimize materials-handling; 2) selecting efficient motors that are closely matched to their loads; 3) maintaining equipment to minimize down-time; and 4) operating at the maximum processing rate.