ASABE Technical Library - Abstract

Abstract. Fiber and seed loss from seed cotton cleaning equipment in cotton gins occurs, but the quantity of material lost, factors affecting fiber and seed loss, and the mechanisms that cause material loss are not well understood. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of different factors on fiber and seed loss. The first experiment tested the effect of multiple cylinder cleaner speeds, stick machine saw speeds, and cultivar on fiber and seed loss from the minimum recommended sequence of seed cotton cleaning equipment. In the second experiment, air flow and seed cotton processing rates through a cylinder cleaner were varied to determine their effect on fiber and seed loss. Additional analysis of the material removed by the cylinder cleaner in this study was conducted to determine both the amounts of loose fiber and fiber attached to the seed. Increasing cylinder cleaner speed or stick machine speed significantly increased the amount of fiber and seed removed by that machine, although fiber and seed loss from the stick machine was lower than the cylinder cleaner. Cultivar significantly affected fiber and seed loss. The air flow rate through the cylinder cleaner had a significant effect on fiber and seed loss, with material loss near zero at low air flow rates and increasing significantly at higher rates. With high air flow rates, high seed cotton processing rates reduced fiber and seed loss. More of the fiber removed by the cylinder cleaner was loose than attached to a seed, and the seed cotton removed had lower fiber to seed ratios than expected based on typical lint and seed turnout. The fiber to seed ratio of seed cotton removed by the cylinder cleaner increased as the air flow rate increased and the seed cotton processing rate decreased, implying that more intact seed cotton locks were removed under these conditions.