Teat-Cup Vacuum Control for Uneven Milk Flow During Milking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Milk extraction methods often result in uneven milk flow distribution among teats, leading to potential harm and prolonged milking times due to the application of uniform vacuum pressures, despite varying teat sizes and shapes.
Innovation Solution
A milk extracting system with teat-specific vacuum pressure adjustment using flow meters, regulators, and a processing node to dynamically adjust vacuum levels based on individual teat milk flow, ensuring efficient and gentle milking by applying high flow vacuum only when all teats exceed a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a common high flow vacuum pressure level is applied to all teats during boost, then the milk extraction speed increases, but teats with low milk flow are harmed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different vacuum pressure levels to different teats based on their individual milk flow characteristics. Each teat cup is equipped with a vacuum regulator that independently adjusts the vacuum pressure according to the specific needs of that teat, rather than applying a uniform pressure to all teats. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing high vacuum pressure to be applied only to teats that can handle it, while protecting vulnerable teats with lower pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum pressure applied to each teat is dynamically adjusted based on real-time monitoring of milk flow rate. The system continuously monitors the milk flow from each teat and automatically adjusts the vacuum pressure level accordingly. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to respond to changing conditions, increasing pressure when flow is sufficient and reducing it when flow is low, thereby preventing teat harm while maintaining efficient extraction.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the milking process waits for all teats to exceed threshold before applying high flow vacuum, then teat harm is avoided, but milking time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies high flow vacuum pressure to only those teats that have exceeded the milk flow threshold, rather than waiting for all teats or applying it uniformly to all. This partial action allows the milking process to proceed efficiently at high speed for capable teats while giving additional time to teats that need more stimulation, thereby reducing overall milking time without causing harm to vulnerable teats.
3Ease of operation
If uniform vacuum pressure is applied to all teats, then the system is simple to operate, but milk flow distribution becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically adjusts vacuum pressure for each teat based on real-time milk flow monitoring without requiring manual intervention. The vacuum regulators are controlled by a central unit that receives feedback from flow sensors and autonomously optimizes the pressure distribution. This self-service capability maintains ease of operation while achieving optimal milk flow distribution across all teats.
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
This approach reduces teat harm and shortens milking time, enabling more efficient milk extraction by adapting to individual teat milk flow patterns, thus increasing the number of animals milked per unit time.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump, configured to generate a vacuum pressure
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of milk flow meters, each configured to measure milk flow of one respective teat of the animal
Data Source
AI summary
A milk extracting system and computer-implemented method of adjusting the vacuum pressures applied respectively at different teat cups for milking the teats of an animal during a milk extraction procedure, where a teat-specific milk flow value is determined for each individual teat during the milk extraction, based on measurements received from respective milk flow meters, each determined teat specific milk flow value is compared with a first threshold limit, and when a determination is made that all of the teat specific milk flow values exceed the first threshold limit the vacuum pressure at each teat cup is adjusted to a high flow vacuum pressure level.