New Developments from Industry

Dennis Steele

Research and Development

Continental Eagle Corp.

COTTON SEED VARIETIES

Today there are many different cotton seed varieties.

Each variety has its own set of characteristics.

Some are easy to gin—some are difficult.

All have different seed weights when compared on a per bale basis.

Some yield high fiber qualities—some not.

Some yield high turnouts—some not so high.

COTTON SEED VARIETIES

These different varieties present a challenge to today’sgin manager.

How does the gin manager know how much seed is inthe storage area?

How does the gin manager determine how much seedto credit to one grower versus another?

CURRENT OPTIONS TOESTIMATE SEED WEIGHT

1. The “formula” or “factoring”.This works if you have a long history of recordsand the growing season is the same every year.What if you have a different type of growingseason, or what if you get a new variety?

2. Seed scales.These are very good estimates of seed weight. However,they are typically of two types: the balance beam typeor the load cell type. These consist of many mechanicalparts, require attention for maintenance and cleanliness

and require a lot of space and equipmentmodification to install.

Continental Eagle Corp.has a third option for

estimating seed weight

Continental Eagle Corp. together with Ohmart/Vega Corp. has developed a new method of weighing cotton seed at the cotton gin. It requires minimal (if any) modifications to existing equipment to install.

It requires minimal maintenance during the ginning season.

It has no moving parts.

The system uses radiation-based technology designed to measure the weight of cotton seedcontinuously as it travels in an auger box.

Information is sent to two totalizer displays.One display can be used to accumulate theweight for the year.One display can be used to accumulate theweight since the meter was “zeroed”.

WEIGHMAX

NUCLEAR

SEED SCALE

OLD TECHNOLOGYNEW APPLICATION

Ohmart/Vega has been producing radiation-based measuringequipment since 1950.

Now Continental Eagle Corp. is applying Ohmart/Vega’stechnology and expertise to weigh:

A few of the products currently being weighed usingOhmart/Vega systems include:

Coal Potatoes GoldWood chips Gypsum board

cotton seed

PRINCIPLES of OPERATION

Sealed Emitter(radioactive source in a holder)

Beam of low level radiation

Detector

4-20 ma signal to remote display

Sealed Emitter (source)Contains 1 mCi of Cs-137 inside a lead free, all welded, 304 stainless steel, fireproof housing.

PRINCIPLES of OPERATION

Radiation beamA fan shaped (collimated)beam passes perpendicularto and thru the flow of cottonseed to the detector. Thegreater the amount of seedpassing thru the beam, the less the amount of radiationreaching the detector.

PRINCIPLES of OPERATION

PRINCIPLES of OPERATIONDetector

Consists of an ion chamberand electronics. The radiationpasses thru the cotton seedand strikes the ion chamberproducing an electrical signalproportional to the amountof radiation detected. Using thisand the RPM of the auger, theelectronics convert thisinformation into a 4-20 ma signalto be used by the display. Ion chamber

ElectronicsNema 4X enclosure

ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEARTECHNOLOGY

Radiation emitted from the source is stable andpredictable over time.

Technology for collecting radiation and converting thisinformation into a useable signal is reliable andproven.

Absorption of radiation by materials is constant and predictable.

Not affected by external surroundings such as dust,humidity, and abrasion.

NO MOVING PARTS

RADIATION

The source in this application is Cs-137.The radiation it gives off consists of Gamma rays.Gamma rays are penetrating, but in general do not have

the ability to make things radioactive.The amount of radiation is about 1.00 mRem/h at 12”

from the source. (It decreases as distance increases).

COMPARISONS

Americans receive about 300 mRem a year just walking around.Passengers in an airplane at 39,000 ft. receive about .8mRem/h.A chest x-ray is about 10 mRem.