Diagramming the Path of a Seed Coat Fragment on Experimental Lint Cleaner Grid Bars

Controlled-batt saw-type lint cleaners use grid bars to remove foreign material from cotton fiber such as leaf particles, motes, grass, bark, and seed coat fragments.  An experiment was run to evaluate the effectiveness of newly-designed grid bars in removing seed coat fragments.  The model-sized grid bars were tested on a lint cleaner simulator.  A high-speed digital camera recorded the action of a fiber bundle with an attached seed coat fragment as it whipped across the grid bar.  The path of the detached seed coat fragment was diagrammed before and after impact with the grid bar to determine the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the fragment over time.  This data will help select new grid bar designs to be tested on a full-size conventional lint cleaner.