Milk Sampler Flushing Device for Contamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Milk samplers often leave residual milk in tubes or pipes from previous sample runs, leading to contamination and measurement inaccuracies in commercial dairy production.
Innovation Solution
A sampler equipped with a flushing device that uses a pressurized flushing fluid to clean all surfaces contacting the sample fluid, ensuring thorough purging and preventing contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a milk sampler is used continuously without cleaning, then productivity is maintained, but contamination occurs and measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing device is activated before the next sampling run to clean residual milk from the tube and pipe surfaces. This preliminary cleaning action prevents contamination during the subsequent sampling operation, thereby maintaining measurement precision without interrupting productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by integrating the flushing mechanism into the sampling cycle. The flushing device quickly removes residues without requiring manual disassembly or extended downtime, allowing the sampler to return to continuous sampling mode promptly.
2Reliability
If manual cleaning of the sampler is performed, then contamination is reduced, but time is lost and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing device enables the sampler to clean itself automatically using pressurized flushing fluid that flows through the tube and pipe surfaces. This self-cleaning mechanism eliminates the need for manual disassembly and cleaning operations, thereby preventing contamination while minimizing time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing device utilizes pressurized fluid (pneumatic or hydraulic) to deliver cleaning action through the sampler's internal passages. The pressurized flushing fluid effectively removes residues from the tube and pipe surfaces without requiring manual intervention, thus maintaining reliability while reducing cleaning time.
3Measurement precision
If the sampler is cleaned thoroughly, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing device is integrated into the existing sampler structure, utilizing the same tube and pipe pathways for both sampling and flushing operations. This multi-functional approach allows the system to maintain measurement precision through thorough cleaning while avoiding the need for separate, complex cleaning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The flushing device acts as an intermediary system that introduces pressurized cleaning fluid into the sampler's internal passages. This intermediary mechanism enables effective cleaning without requiring direct access to or disassembly of the sampling components, thereby maintaining precision while managing complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The flushing device effectively removes residual milk, reducing contamination risks and improving measurement accuracy by ensuring clean surfaces for each sample run.
Implementation Method 1
a flushing device for cleaning the sampler, wherein the flushing device is adapted on actuation to: deliver a pressurised flushing fluid passed all of the contact surfaces
Data Source
AI summary
A sampler including an inlet, an outlet and a flushing device. The sampler adapted such that a sample fluid flows from the inlet, out the outlet and into sample containers. The flushing device is adapted to flush a pressurised pressurized flushing fluid past all surfaces of the sampler which are adapted to contact the sample fluid.