Milkmeter Wash Fluid Control Using Temperature Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing milkmeter systems consume significant resources such as water, wash fluid, and electricity during cleaning processes, necessitating a more efficient conservation approach.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a milk channel design with optical property variations and a feed inlet with a curved pipe configuration, coupled with a wash fluid conservation system that uses temperature sensors to optimize wash fluid usage by adjusting flow based on temperature readings, and a processing circuitry to reduce fluid usage in subsequent iterations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wash fluid is heated and streamed throughout the milkmeter system for cleaning, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but resource consumption (water, wash fluid, electricity) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The milk channel is divided into two parts with different optical properties: a first part that is substantially opaque to light and a second part that is substantially transparent to light. This local differentiation allows the system to optimize cleaning effectiveness in specific areas while reducing overall resource consumption by targeting wash fluid application more precisely.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes optical property variations (analogous to color changes) by making different sections of the milk channel transparent or opaque to light. This enables the system to monitor and control the cleaning process more efficiently, ensuring adequate cleaning while reducing unnecessary wash fluid and energy consumption.
2Measurement precision
If the milk channel is made completely transparent to light, then optical monitoring is improved, but cleaning effectiveness may be reduced due to light interference
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the milk channel have different optical properties: the first part is substantially opaque to light while the second part is substantially transparent. This local quality differentiation allows optical monitoring to function effectively in the transparent section without compromising cleaning effectiveness in the opaque section, where light interference would otherwise occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The milk channel is segmented into distinct parts with different optical characteristics. This segmentation allows the system to perform optical monitoring in the transparent second part while maintaining cleaning effectiveness in the opaque first part, resolving the contradiction between monitoring accuracy and cleaning performance.
3Ease of manufacture
If a straight milk channel is used, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but fluid flow efficiency and cleaning coverage are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The feed inlet incorporates a curved pipe with a curvature angle between 45-90 degrees, optimizing fluid flow dynamics. This curved configuration improves wash fluid circulation and cleaning coverage throughout the milkmeter system while remaining manufacturable, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and flow efficiency.
4Productivity
If the curvature angle of the feed inlet pipe is increased, then fluid mixing and cleaning coverage are improved, but pressure loss and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The curvature angle of the feed inlet pipe is optimized to a specific range (45-90 degrees) to achieve the best balance between cleaning coverage and energy consumption. This parameter optimization ensures adequate fluid mixing and cleaning effectiveness while minimizing pressure loss and energy requirements for fluid circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The curved pipe configuration dynamically optimizes fluid flow patterns during the washing process. The specific curvature angle range allows the system to achieve effective cleaning coverage while adapting to varying flow conditions, thereby reducing overall energy consumption compared to sharper or more extreme curvature configurations.
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
Conserves wash fluid and electricity by optimizing fluid flow and usage, ensuring effective cleaning while reducing resource consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a milk channel having a first part and a second part, wherein a first value of at least one optical property of the first part is different than a second value of the optical property of the second part
Data Source
AI summary
A wash fluid conservation system and method are disclosed. Temperature values are obtained for one or more given milkmeters in a milkmeter system for one or more sampling periods during a given iteration of a washing process for cleaning the milkmeter system. The temperature values are indicative of a temperature of the wash fluid that is flowing through the respective given milkmeter. If the temperature values for a respective sampling period are greater than or equal to a predefined temperature prior to a designated time for completion of the given iteration, one or more actions are performed to reduce the wash fluid that is used in at least one of the given iteration or a subsequent iteration of the washing process to be less than an amount of the wash fluid designated to be used in the washing process in advance of the given iteration.