Milking Flow Meter Valve Stability via Dual Membrane Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flow meters in milking plants face issues with valve instability due to precarious pressure balance, leading to intermittent milk discharge and potential occlusion, and require high vacuum pump capacity for startup, which is costly and inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A flow meter design with a chamber communicating with the external environment to maintain the control membrane lifted stably, and a bellows-shaped sleeve to ensure valve stability and reduce air evacuation needs during startup, keeping the lower membrane face at atmospheric pressure and using a hermetically sealed sleeve to promote valve closure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a control membrane with outer diameter greater than the seat is used to maintain valve open during milking, then the valve remains open as long as membrane lifting force allows, but the pressure balance becomes precarious and small pressure variations cause membrane lowering and valve closure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the single membrane system into two separate membranes: a first membrane (control membrane) that responds to vacuum pressure differences to control valve opening, and a second membrane (counterbalance membrane) that provides stable counterpressure. This segmentation isolates the control function from the stability function, preventing the precarious pressure balance experienced by the single membrane system.
Solution Approach 2:
The second membrane acts as a counterbalance to the first membrane, providing a stable opposing force that compensates for pressure variations. This counterbalance mechanism ensures that small pressure fluctuations do not cause unintended valve closure, maintaining stable valve operation during milking.
2Productivity
If the valve remains open during startup to allow milk flow, then milk discharge is enabled, but high vacuum pump capacity is required to evacuate air quickly, increasing cost and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by maintaining the valve in the closed position during startup through the balanced membrane configuration. This allows the vacuum pump to evacuate air without requiring high capacity, and the valve opens automatically when milking conditions are established and pressure differential is sufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of keeping the valve open during startup and relying on high pump capacity to manage air evacuation, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the valve closed during startup. This reduces the vacuum pump capacity requirement and energy consumption, while still enabling timely milk flow when needed.
3Reliability
If the valve closes intermittently due to pressure fluctuations, then milk discharge becomes discontinuous, but this can lead to milk accumulation and occlusion of the discharge opening
Solution Approach 1:
The second membrane provides beforehand cushioning by maintaining stable counterpressure that prevents the first membrane from responding to small pressure fluctuations. This cushioning effect prevents intermittent valve closure before it can occur, thereby preventing milk accumulation and occlusion issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The dual membrane system creates a feedback mechanism where the second membrane responds to pressure changes and adjusts its counterpressure to stabilize the first membrane position. This feedback loop prevents excessive membrane displacement and ensures continuous valve operation, avoiding milk discharge interruptions that could lead to accumulation.
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 design ensures stable milk discharge and reduced energy consumption by maintaining valve stability under varying vacuum conditions and lowering the vacuum pump requirements, preventing occlusions and improving milking efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The control membrane has an outer diameter greater than that of the seat where it is located inside the cup-shaped body. In this manner the membrane takes two configurations depending on the pressure difference existing between the membrane faces.
Implementation Method 2
said sleeve being hermetically sealed and bellows-shaped
Implementation Method 3
keeping the lower membrane face at atmospheric pressure
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
A flow metering device (1) for milking plants, comprising: a cup body (13); a cover (15); a control membrane (17) transversely arranged in the cup body between the cover and the bottom (19) of the cup body; a first hermetically sealed chamber (21) defined between the cover and the membrane and having an opening (23) that can be associated with the vacuum circuit of the milking plant; a second hermetically sealed chamber (25) defined in the space enclosed between the membrane (17) and the bottom (19) of the cup body (13) and having a milk inlet opening (27) and a milk discharge opening (29); a valve (31) associated with the milk discharge opening (29) and equipped with a shutter (33) and a seat (35) for said shutter; an actuating assembly (37) for the shutter, including a connecting member (39) associated with the membrane and the shutter; wherein a third hermetically sealed chamber (41) is defined between the membrane (17) and the second chamber (25), which third chamber communicates with the external environment and is separated from the first chamber by the control membrane (17), so that the pressure inside the third chamber (41) is the same as that outside the device, whatever the pressure in the first and second chambers may be.