Scientists have developed innovative saw gin technology to improve cotton fibre separation during pre-treatment. This technology utilises a straight-flow fibre separator designed and tested in a laboratory setting.
The research confirms the potential of this selective sawing approach for cotton processing. However, further refinement is needed to optimise its performance. To achieve this, researchers conducted a series of experiments focusing on three key factors: saw cylinder rotation speed, cotton feed rate, and the angle of certain separator elements.
These factors were chosen for their influence on achieving an efficient and smooth separation process. Eight experiments were conducted using a full factorial design, with each factor tested at two levels (high and low). The experiments were carried out on a Tashkent-6 II sorter, a commonly used cotton processing machine.
The findings from this study demonstrate the promise of selective sawing technologies for cotton pre-treatment. Further research will focus on refining the separator design and optimising operating parameters to maximise its effectiveness in the cotton processing industry.
| Designation | The name of the factors | Unit of measure | Change level | ||
| -1 | +2 | ||||
| X1 | Saw cylinder rotation speed | m/s | 6,7 | 15,0 | |
| X2 | Intensive flow of cotton pieces | G/ arra min. | 100 | 550 | |
| X3 | The weighting element is the angle of rotation | -0 | 30 | 65 | |
Full factorial experiment 23=8 working matrix
| № | Procedure of experiments | factors | ||
| X1 | X2 | X3 | ||
| 1 | 1 | 6,7 | 100 | 30 |
| 2 | 7 | 15,0 | 100 | 30 |
| 3 | 8 | 6,7 | 550 | 30 |
| 4 | 2 | 15,0 | 550 | 30 |
| 5 | 5 | 6,7 | 100 | 65 |
| 6 | 4 | 15,0 | 100 | 65 |
| 7 | 3 | 0,7 | 550 | 65 |
| 8 | 6 | 15,0 | 550 | 65 |
Accurate manipulation of input and output parameters is crucial for successful experimentation. During the experiment, the seed’s condition and quality grades were considered as the output variables for determining the factors affecting the outcomes.
U1.-summary of defects and pollution
U2- Sprout and melted seed
U3 is a major impurity
U4-may impurity
U5 – short length: modal spatula
U6-half-length spatula
U7-short fibre
U8- breaking strength
U9- Seed incompleteness
U10-Seed damage
Based on the findings of the experiment, an analysis was conducted on how various factors impact the straight-flow generation processes using a second-order regression multifactorial mathematical model. The initial factor examined was the sawing speed’s influence on quality indicators, revealing that excessive speed negatively affects all wood quality metrics. Specifically, fibre was identified as the primary cause of decreased modulus and stamp length. The second factor, cotton piece flow in ginning, has a complex physical influence, especially in reducing dynamic forces impacting mass by controlling fibre feed. Factors like damaged fibre reduction, increased fibre length, and seed damage are affected. Lastly, the deviation angle of bending elements significantly impacts results, with higher angles yielding longer fibres but compromising overall fibre quality. Through optimization, factors such as saw cylinder rotation speed, cotton piece flow, and bending element angles were identified as crucial for enhancing output quality in selective technology ginning equipment.
- Saw cylinder speed: 11.7 m/s
- Cotton flow rate: 500 G/saw.min
- Bending element deflection angle: -45 degrees