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ARS Home » Plains Area » Lubbock, Texas » Cropping Systems Research Laboratory » Cotton Production and Processing Research » Research » Research Project #447581

Research Project: Detecting Precursors to Combustion for Cotton Coproducts to Improve Storage and Mitigate Fires

Location: Cotton Production and Processing Research

Project Number: 3096-21410-009-024-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jan 1, 2025
End Date: Dec 31, 2025

Objective:
Determine the most effective sensor array and platform to detect chemical signatures of cottonseed and cotton gin byproducts prior to combustion to help mitigate fires when the materials are being stored.

Approach:
The Cotton Production and Processing Research Unit will be working with the USDA-ARS National Peanut Lab to conduct simulate testing on cottonseed, cotton gin byproducts and peanuts to determine their precombustion chemical signatures. Once the chemical signatures are known, we will work with collaborators to develop cost-conscious sensors and deployment platforms to detect the specific chemicals needed for each material. The sensors will be tested for detection sensitivity under varying situations using aeration and storage setup at the National Peanut Lab in Dawson, GA. Prototypes will be validated, then we will move testing to commercial storage facilities.