Drying of seed cotton and other crops with engine exhaust

Abstract

A seed cotton dryer comprises an array of electromagnetic wave energy generators in a cotton gin, a cotton picker/stripper. An appropriate amount of energy is used to evaporate a considerable amount of moisture in the seed cotton without producing enough energy to pop the cotton seeds. Seed cotton dried by wave energy is much easier to separate the cotton seeds and lint from leaves, stems and other plant parts. The seed cotton is preferably transported through the dryer in a conduit having flat sides which reflects the wave energy more efficiently than through a round conduit. Provisions are made to prevent arcing in the transport conduit when extraneous metal pieces are inadvertently mixed with the seed cotton. In some embodiments, heated air from a diesel engine is used to dry crops as they are being harvested.

1 . A harvester comprising a wheeled frame, a diesel engine providing driving power to the harvester and having a combustion products exhaust, harvesting structure for removing a crop from plants, and a dryer including a conduit connected to the engine exhaust and delivering combustion products into the crop. 
     
     
         2 . The harvester of  claim 1  further comprising an accumulator and an air conveying system including a duct connected between the harvesting structure and the accumulator and wherein the dryer conduit is in combustion product exchanging relation with the duct whereby the seed cotton is heated with combustion products and conveyed to the accumulator. 
     
     
         3 . The harvester of  claim 2  wherein the accumulator includes an air outlet and an outlet whereby conveying air escapes from the harvester through the accumulator air outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The harvester of  claim 3  wherein the diesel engine comprises a radiator and further comprising a heat recovery system removing heat from the radiator having a cool air inlet and a heated air exhaust connected to the duct whereby hot air from the heat recovery system dries seed cotton conveyed through the duct and a proportioning system adjusting the relative amount of combustion products and heated air to alter the composition of gas in the air conveying system. 
     
     
         5 . The harvester of  claim 4  wherein the proportioning system comprises a proportioning valve having a first inlet in combustion gas receiving relation with the engine exhaust and a second inlet in heated air receiving relation with the heat recovery system and a control device connected to the proportioning valve whereby the composition of gas in the air conveying system may be adjusted. 
     
     
         6 . The harvester of  claim 1  wherein the harvesting structure includes structure for removing seed cotton from cotton plants. 
     
     
         7 . The harvester of  claim 1  wherein the diesel engine has the characteristic of producing less than: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                   quantity 
                 
                     
                   pollutant 
                   grams/kilowatt-hour 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   non-methane hydrocarbons + 
                   4.0 
                 
                     
                   oxides of nitrogen 
                 
                     
                   carbon monoxide 
                   3.5 
                 
                     
                   particulate matter 
                   0.2. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The harvester of  claim 1  wherein the diesel engine has the characteristic of producing less than: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                   quantity 
                 
                     
                   pollutant 
                   grams/kilowatt-hour 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   non-methane hydrocarbons 
                   0.19 
                 
                     
                   oxides of nitrogen 
                   3.5 
                 
                     
                   carbon monoxide 
                   0.4 
                 
                     
                   particulate matter 
                   0.02. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         9 . The harvester of  claim 6  wherein the diesel engine has the characteristic of producing less than: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                   quantity 
                 
                     
                   pollutant 
                   grams/kilowatt-hour 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   non-methane hydrocarbons + 
                   4.0 
                 
                     
                   oxides of nitrogen 
                 
                     
                   carbon monoxide 
                   3.5 
                 
                     
                   particulate matter 
                   0.2. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         10 . The harvester of  claim 6  wherein the diesel engine has the characteristic of producing less than: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                     
                   quantity 
                 
                     
                   pollutant 
                   grams/kilowatt-hour 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                 
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                   non-methane hydrocarbons 
                   0.19 
                 
                     
                   oxides of nitrogen 
                   3.5 
                 
                     
                   carbon monoxide 
                   0.4 
                 
                     
                   particulate matter 
                   0.02. 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
               
            
             
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
       
     
     
         11 . The harvester of  claim 1  further comprising an exhaust muffler and a valve having an inlet connected to the engine exhaust, a first outlet connected to the muffler and a second outlet connected to the conduit. 
     
     
         12 . The harvester of  claim 1  further comprising an accumulator and a system conveying the crop into the accumulator and wherein the dryer conduit is in combustion product exchanging relation with the accumulator independently of the conveying system.