POWERED ROLL GIN STAND DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION TO DETERMINE IDEAL CONVERSION KITS FOR EXISTING COMMERCIAL GIN STANDS

Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
(N/A)
LUBBOCK,TX 79401

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
(N/A)

Animal Health Component

60%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

10%

Applied

60%

Developmental

30%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
204	1710	2020	20%
204	1810	2020	10%
511	1710	2020	60%
511	1810	2020	10%

Knowledge Area
511 - New and Improved Non-Food Products and Processes; 204 - Plant Product Quality and Utility (Preharvest);

Subject Of Investigation
1810 - Cottonseed; 1710 - Upland cotton;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering;

Keywords

Goals / Objectives
(1) Determine the best design configurations necessary for successful transfer of the powered roll gin stand technology to existing commercially available saw gin stands across the cotton belt. (2) Develop drawings that can be used by commercial fabrication facilities in order to build and install the new powered roll gin stand fronts on various types of saw gin stands currently being used by cotton gins. (3) Determine the optimal operational settings necessary to produce the best fiber properties and production rates for the retrofitted powered roll gin stand kits replacing the existing gin fronts.

Project Methods
The two prototype powered roll gin stands at the USDA-ARS Cotton Ginning Lab in Lubbock, TX, will be used for research testing. In additon, kits will be developed, installed, and tested in commercial gins to aid in the successful transfer of the technology to industry. The retrofitted gin stands will be evaluated based on changes in fiber properties and production rates. Results and modifications made during the transfer of the PRGS technology to industry will be documented in conference and journal publications.

Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
Progress Report 4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit, Lubbock, TX, and Cotton Incorporated. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project, 6208-21410-005-00D, Harvesting and Ginning Processes to Enhance Profitability of Stripper Cotton. The bench scale mini-powered roll gin stand (mini-PRGS) initiated last year was completed. The bench scale version is to be evaluated in comparison testing of other lab scale gin stands currently used by breeders and researchers to evaluate lint property of new varieties. The comparison tests will evaluate whether or not the fiber property results commonly reported are dependent on the make and model of bench scale gin stand used. If the results indicate significant differences due to the gin stand, standardization may be initiated by the industry to make reported results more comparable. A successful conversion kit was built for the Murray-142 gin stand. The gin stand was evaluated at the end of last season and plans are currently being developed to verify the initial results with testing this coming ginning season. The Consolidated-164 was modified; however, it could not be evaluated because the manufacturing facility could not fabricate the new front in time to install it in the cooperator's cotton gin prior to the start of the ginning season.

Impacts
(N/A)

Publications

Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05

Outputs
4d Progress report. This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between USDA-ARS, Cropping Systems Research Laboratory, Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit, Lubbock, TX, and Cotton Incorporated. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent project, 6208-21410-005-00D, Harvesting and Ginning Processes to Enhance Profitability of Stripper Cotton. Two powered roll gin stand fronts were built for upcoming field tests during the 2005-06 ginning season. The gin stands to be retrofitted include a Murray-142 and a Consolidated-164. These units have been built and are currently awaiting delivery to the sites. In addition to the two field units, a mini-powered roll gin stand (mini-PRGS) has been designed and parts are being fabricated and/or ordered. Construction should be underway before the end of this fiscal year. The mini-gin stand is intended for use by breeders and researchers alike. Due to a wide variety of mini-gins that are currently in use, consistency between results reported by breeders when they gin on small-scale gins has been a topic of conversation. To address the consistency issue, the mini-PRGS is being built for comparison testing with mini-gins currently in use. The mini-PRGS will be a 5-saw gin stand that can easily be moved by two people. The unit will have a see-through side to allow for visual observations.

Impacts
(N/A)

Publications