Effects of the Monoflow Cotton Gin Air System on Ginning Operations, Lint Quality, and Spinning Performance

Excerpts from the report: An experimental air system called the "monoflow system," in which the airstreams are connected in series, is under development at the USDA Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory at Mesilla Park, N. Mex. This system provides a method of controlling the moisture content of the cotton through the entire ginning process to maintain maximum quality, and also aids in air pollution control by reducing the number of final exhaust airstreams. In the laboratory setup, the number of airstreams has been reduced to two—one to handle the seed cotton and one to handle the lint. The experimental studies for the report had three objectives: (1) To evaluate the effects of the monoflow ginning air system and a conventional ginning air system on ginning operations, cotton quality, and spinning performance; (2) to evaluate the effects on these aspects of cotton processing of the fiber-moisture control provided by the monoflow system during ginning; and (3) to evaluate the effects of the use of card crusher rolls on the spinning performance of cotton ginned with the monoflow ginning air system and with a conventional ginning air system.