Method for a filling valve, and a filling valve system

A method for a filling valve being configured to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid product to individual packages, comprising:

• controlling the opening of the filling valve for allowing liquid product discharge at a starting time,
• measuring the amount of liquid being discharged through the filling valve, and
• controlling the closing of the filling valve by:
• i) determining a pressure upstream of said filling valve,
• ii) calculating an estimated discharge volume during a closing sequence of the filling valve based on said determined pressure, and
• iii) initiating a closing sequence based on said estimated discharge volume;
• wherein the controlling of the closing of the filling valve further comprises comparing said determined pressure with a reference pressure for determining a pressure difference, and
• wherein said estimated discharge volume is calculated based on said pressure difference.

A filling valve system configured to discharge a predetermined volume of liquid product to individual packages, the system comprising:

• at least one filling valve through which the liquid product is discharged into the individual packages during operation of the system;
• a liquid product source connected to the at least one filling valve and configured to supply the liquid product to the at least one filling valve, wherein the liquid product source is a tank configured to contain the liquid product;
• a controller operatively connected to the at least one filling valve to change the at least one filling valve between an open position in which the at least one filling valve permits discharge of the liquid product into one of the individual packages and a closed position in which the at least one filling valve prevents discharge of the liquid product into one of the individual packages;
• a flow meter associated with the at least one filling valve and configured to measure an amount of the liquid product being discharged through the at least one filling valve;
• a pressure sensor arranged at the liquid product source to measure pressure of the liquid product at a location upstream of the at least one filling valve;
• a gas system fluidly connected to the tank, the at least one filling valve comprising a first set of filling valves associated with a first filling line and a second set of filling valves associated with a second filling line, each one of the sets of filling valves being configured to be in an active state or in a non-active state independent of each other, and the gas system providing a gaseous environment only to the set of filling valves in an active state;
• and
• the controller being operatively connected to the pressure sensor to receive information about the pressure of the liquid product at a location upstream of the at least one filling valve, to calculate using the measured pressure an estimated discharge volume of the liquid product that will be discharged from the at least one filling valve during a closing sequence of the at least one filling valve when the at least one filling valve is moving from the open position to the closed position, and to initiate the closing sequence based on the calculated estimated discharge volume.