FREE FLOW ELECTRONIC METER

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to a free flow electronic meter, which is used in measuring the velocity and flow rate of a fluid, particularly in measuring milk yield of sheep, goat, buffalo and cattle during milking. The free flow electronic meter includes a measurement pipe wherein the velocity of the material that passes through it is measured by means of a flow rate measurement sensor. When the milk flows continuously through the measurement pipe, an air passage pipe and/or free air passage pipe prevents vacuum fluctuation that causes udder diseases. This result is reached by preventing a change of the vacuum level during milking due to increased milk flow at teat end by providing extra air passage.

Claims

1) A free flow electronic meter, comprising: at least one measurement pipe; at least one air passage pipe; at least one free air passage pipe; and the at least one measurement pipe is connected to the at least one air passage pipe and/or at least one free air passage pipe.

2) The free flow electronic meter of claim 1, further comprising a flow rate measurement sensor, located on the measurement pipe.

3) The free flow electronic meter of claim 1, further comprising a front collection chamber, wherein the milk is collected when it first enters.

4) The free flow electronic meter of claim 1, further comprising an electrical conductivity sensor, located on the measurement pipe.

5) (canceled)

6) The free flow electronic meter of claim 1, further comprising a lower shutoff and/or an upper shutoff valves, wherein the lower shutoff valve is located on the lower end of the measurement pipe, while the upper shutoff valve is located on the air passage pipe.

7) The free flow electronic meter of claim 1, further comprising a temperature measurement sensor, located on the measurement pipe.

Description

FIGURES CLARIFYING THE INVENTION

[0022] FIG. 1—is a drawing, which shows a free flow electronic meter of the present invention.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0023] 10. Inlet

[0024] 20. Front Collection Chamber

[0025] 30. Air Passage Pipe

[0026] 40. Measurement Pipe

[0027] 50. Free Air Passage Pipe

[0028] 60. Temperature Sensor

[0029] 70. Electrical Conductivity Sensor

[0030] 80. Flow Rate Measurement Sensor

[0031] 90. Vacuum Lines

[0032] 100. Upper Shutoff Valve

[0033] 110. Lower Shutoff Valve

[0034] 120. Fluid Outlet

[0035] The invention will be understood clearly when it is explained with the reference numbers mentioned above and with reference to the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Said invention is related to a free flow electronic meter which is used in measuring the velocity and flow rate of the fluid; particularly in measuring milk yields of both small ruminants and cattle dairy farming enterprises.

[0037] In FIG. 1, the free flow electronic meter of the present invention is shown. The new meter in the invention consists of two circular pipes, continuous air passage pipe (30) and milk measurement pipe (40). The milked milk enters through inlet (10) into a front collection chamber (20). While the milk flows fully through the measurement pipe (40), the continuous air passage pipe (30) and/or free air passage pipe (50) provides vacuum; thus, the vacuum level at the teats does not change due to the increased milk flow rate during milking and the vacuum fluctuation does not happen, which otherwise would cause udder diseases.

[0038] There is a height difference between the milk inlet (10) level and outlet level of the measurement pipe (40) and the outlet port of the measurement pipe (40) is at least as wide as the diameter of the measurement pipe (40). Therefore, in accordance with the principal of computational fluid, in the measurement pipe (40) the flow shall be in the direction of discharge after it is fully filled. When the material flows fully through the measurement pipe (40), the velocity of the flowing material can be measured by means of the flow rate sensor (80) on the measurement pipe (40). Because the diameter in the measurement pipe (40), where the milk enters first, is constant, the velocity of the fluid due to increased pressure at the inlet of the measurement pipe (40) will increase. Similarly, when the milked milk amount decreases, the level in the first front collection chamber (20) and thus the pressure, decreases; accordingly, the velocity of the fluid will decrease also. The milk amount during the milking process can be measured without a mistake by means of the flow rate obtained as a result of multiplying the constant cross-sectional area and the velocity.

[0039] During the milking process, the electrical conductivity is measured without a mistake by means of the electrical conductivity sensor (70), in order to determine udder diseases as the milk which passes through the measurement pipe (40) will be foamless. Therefore, the meter both measures the milk productivity with a very little margin of error and also makes electrical conductivity measurements which is used for making early diagnosis of udder diseases. Thus, this data, together with the milk measurement data, will be transmitted to the herd management software.

[0040] There are lower (110) and upper (100) shutoff valves which cuts the connection of both the air passage pipe (30) and the measurement pipe (40) with the vacuum lines (90) on the meter. These valves provide the milking cluster to be removed from the udder in an easy manner with the automatic remover by cutting all vacuum feedings at the end of the milking process. Therefore, a further vacuum cutter valve group is not required for the automatic remover assembly.

[0041] The milk meter is washed together with the milking system at the end of each milking process. During the washing process, in order to wash all surfaces of the meter body in a proper manner for said vacuum cutting, the lower (110) and the upper (100) valves are opened and closed respectively in predetermined intervals. Therefore, the washing solution passes through the air passage pipe (30) and milk measurement pipe (40) and all surfaces of the front collection chamber (20) are washed fully.

[0042] During the washing process, the amount of the washing solution, the density of the solution conductivity and temperature of the solution—which is passing through the measurement pipe (40)—are measured and outputted to the software by means of the fluid flow rate measurement sensor (80), the conductivity measurement sensor (70) and the temperature measurement sensor (60) included within the measurement pipe (40). Therefore, monitoring whether all milk meters are washed with a sufficient quality. In other words, whether they are washed with a sufficient duration and at sufficient temperatures. If there are any meters which have shifted, the user will be warned. In such case, the affected meter will be pointed for the user in order to eliminate possible washing system failures.

[0043] As long as there is an explicit elevation difference between the inlet and outlet of the measurement pipe (40), it can make a proper measurement, and it will have more tolerance to balance position of the meter. Moreover, this milk meter can not only be used in the milking operations but it can also be used in bucket/mobile milking machines which are used in poor surfaces.

[0044] Alternatively, the measurement can be made not only by means of thermal, coriolis, magnetic, ultrasonic, vortex sensors but also by paddle meters because only milk will flow through the measurement pipe (40) without air interference.

[0045] The protection scope of the present invention is defined in the claims and cannot be limited with the above descriptions which are made only for illustrative purposes, it is clear that a person qualified in the art will be able to present the novelty presented with the invention by means of similar embodiments and/or will be able to apply this in the other areas with similar aims used within the relevant art. Therefore, it is explicit that such embodiments will lack novelty and particularly the inventive step criteria.