Increasing the Efficiency of Power Used for Materials Handling in Southwestern Cotton Gins

Excerpts from the report: Over the past two decades, connected horsepower (the sum of rated horsepower of all electric equipment used in a plant) in gins has shown a three- to fourfold increase while per bale power costs have about doubled. Substantial savings in operating costs could be realized in most cotton ginning operations by peaking the efficiency of individual air systems used for materials handling and by rearranging gin machinery so as to eliminate unnecessary fans, motors, and piping. For example, a few relatively simple changes in the plant layout of one specific gin, fairly typical in size and arrangement of many gin plants throughout the Cotton Belt, would have netted savings equivalent to about one-fourth of the total gin operating costs of power in West Texas, more than one-third in California, and approximately one-half in New Mexico. These estimates were based on average cost figures derived from a study of 30 ginning installations in these 3 areas. The specific objectives of this study were to (1) determine power requirements and costs incurred for individual materials handling functions, (2) analyze various trash disposal systems for causes of wide differences in power requirements and costs for materials handling among gins of comparable size and capacity, and (3) analyze possibilities for more efficient utilization of gin power by modifying current materials handling systems and gin layouts, and by adopting new engineering developments and principles.