Fiber micronaire testing system

An apparatus for measuring the micronaire value of a fibrous material comprising:

• a variable volume test chamber;
• fiber sample delivery means for channeling a fluid size d flow stream of fibrous material into said test chamber;
• means for accumulating fibrous material carried by said flow stream within a first test zone in said test chamber;
• first pressure measurement means for measuring fluid pressure loss through an accumulation of fiber in said first test zone;
• control means for blocking the flow stream channel of said fibrous material into said test chamber responsive to a predetermined first pressure loss through said first test zone;
• fiber compaction means for compacting the quantity of fiber accumulated in said test chamber prior to blocking of said flow stream channel, the accumulated fiber quantity being compacted within a second test zone of said test chamber having a known volume;
• air flow means for flowing a known flow rate of air through the accumulated fiber in said second test zone;
• second pressure measurement means for measuring a second fluid pressure loss value for air flow through said accumulated fiber in said second test zone at said known flow rate;
• and,
• data processing means programmed to determine a micronaire value of said accumulated fiber using the measured value of said second fluid pressure loss.

An apparatus for measuring the micronaire value of a fibrous material comprising:

• a variable volume test chamber having a walled perimeter between an open end and a closed end;
• a fibrous material confinement wall having an area of perforations through said wall between internal and external sides of said wall;
• means for consolidating a bed of fibrous material along an internal side of said confinement wall and over said perforations;
• means for translating the open end of said test chamber into said consolidated bed of material and over said area of perforations so as to isolate a sample portion of said consolidated bed within said test chamber,
• means within said test chamber for compacting said isolated sample portion of said consolidated bed with a predetermined compaction load;
• means for determining the volume of said isolated sample of fibrous material compacted under said predetermined load;
• means for flowing a known flow rate of air through said isolated sample of fibrous material;
• means for measuring the air pressure loss of said known flow rate through said isolated sample of fibrous material;
• data processing means programmed to determine a micronaire value from values respective to the volume of the isolated and compacted sample, said known air flow rate and said air pressure loss.

An apparatus for measuring the micronaire value of a fibrous material comprising:

• a test zone within a walled enclosure means having first and second opposite ends;
• a pressure differential measuring zone within said test zone between said first and second opposite ends;
• a sample inflow duct penetrating said walled enclosure between said first end and said pressure differential measuring zone;
• first displacement means disposed within said test zone for selective positioning between said first opposite end and said pressure measuring zone, said first displacement means having opposite faces and gas flow passages between said opposite faces thereof;
• second displacement means disposed within said test zone for selective positioning between said second opposite end and said pressure measuring zone, said second displacement means having opposite faces and gas flow passages between said opposite faces thereof;
• and,
• air draft means for drawing an air flow from said inflow duct, through said pressure measuring zone and said second piston means.

An apparatus for measuring the micronaire value of a fibrous material comprising:

• a cylinder bore within a cylinder wall means having axially separated first and second bore ends;
• a pressure differential measuring zone within said cylinder bore between said first and second bore ends:
• a sample inflow duct penetrating said cylinder bore between said first bore end and said pressure measuring zone;
• a sample discharge duct penetrating said cylinder bore between said second bore end and said pressure measuring zone;
• first piston means disposed within said cylinder bore for selective reciprocation between said first bore end and said pressure measuring zone, said first piston means having opposite piston faces and gas flow passages between said opposite faces thereof;
• second piston means disposed within said cylinder bore for selective reciprocation between said second bore end and said pressure measuring zone, said second piston means having opposite piston faces and gas flow passages between said opposite faces thereof;
• and,
• air draft means for drawing an air flow from said inflow duct, through said pressure measuring zone and said second piston means.

A process for measuring the micronaire value of a fibrous material comprising the steps of:

• drafting a fiber entrained air flow through an inflow duct into a test chamber within a walled enclosure,
• screening the fiber entrained by said air flow for accumulation within said test chamber;
• measuring a first air pressure differential across an accumulation of fiber within said test chamber to determine a threshold quantity of fiber accumulated therewithin,
• terminating fiber entrained air flow from said inflow duct into said test chamber upon accumulation of said threshold quantity;
• compacting the threshold quantity of accumulated fiber within a known volume of said test chamber;
• drafting an essentially fiber free air flow through said compacted quantity of accumulated fiber within said known volume;
• measuring a second air pressure differential through the compacted quantity of accumulated fiber within said known volume;
• discharging said compacted quantity of accumulated fiber from said known volume, measuring the weight of said compacted quantity of accumulated fiber;
• and,
• combining values corresponding to said second air pressure differential and said accumulated fiber weight to determine a micronaire value respective to said fiber.