Method and apparatus for cooling of milk
AssigneeDeLaval Holding AB
InventorJerzy Stopa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for cooling milk in a milking arrangement, and a milk cooling apparatus of the milking arrangement that has a coolant circuit for heat exchange between milk and a coolant and a refrigerant circuit for heat exchange between a refrigerant and the coolant, where the method includes controlling the refrigerant circuit to maintain a predefined temperature range, receiving a first signal relating to commencement or increase of a milk flow from a milking system of the milking arrangement, starting or increasing circulation of coolant in the coolant circuit, and leading the milk flow through the milk cooling apparatus.
Claims17
A method (50) for automatically cooling milk in a milking arrangement (4) provided with a milk storage tank (8) and a milking system (6) for extracting milk from at least one animal, by means of a milk cooling apparatus (2) for cooling the milk, where the milk cooling apparatus (2) is arranged in a milk flow path between the milking system (6) and the milk storage tank (8), and the milk cooling apparatus (2) includes a coolant circuit (18) and a refrigerant circuit (20), the coolant circuit (18) configured for heat exchange between the milk in the milk flow path and a coolant in the coolant circuit, and the refrigerant circuit (20) is configured for heat exchange between a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit and the coolant in the coolant circuit, the method (50) comprising the steps of:
- maintaining, via control of the refrigerant circuit via a milk cooling controller and in absence of a first signal from the milking system and associated with a milk flow along the milk flow path from the milking system (6) towards the milk storage tank (8), a first predefined temperature range in a portion of the coolant circuit (18), the controller controlling the coolant circuit (18) to operate in a first mode where the circulation of the coolant is either stopped or decreased;
- receiving (54) at the controller the first signal from the milking system (6);
- responsive to the receiving (54) of the first signal, the controller automatically operates to control the coolant circuit (18) to operate in a second mode whereby the circulation of the coolant is either started or increased (56);
- leading (58) the milk flow through the milk cooling apparatus (2);
- sensing, via a sensor in communication with the controller, a temperature of the milk downstream of the milk cooling apparatus (2);
- and
- responsive to the sensed temperature of the milk downstream of the milk cooling apparatus (2), the controller automatically operates to control a speed of the milk flow along the milk flow path from the milking system (6) towards the milk storage tank (8) to maintain the milk in a second predefined temperature range downstream of the milk cooling apparatus (2).
A milk cooling apparatus (2) for cooling milk in a milking arrangement (4) equipped with a milk storage tank (8) and a milking system (6) for extracting milk from at least one animal, the milk cooling apparatus (2) comprising:
- a coolant circuit (18);
- a refrigerant circuit (20);
- a controller (22) configured to communicate with the milking system (6);
- and
- a sensor, in communication with the controller (22), configured to sense a temperature of the milk downstream of the milk cooling apparatus,
- wherein the coolant circuit (18) is configured for heat exchange between the milk and a coolant that circulates through the coolant circuit (18),
- wherein the refrigerant circuit (20) is configured for heat exchange between a refrigerant that circulates through the refrigerant circuit (20) and the coolant of the coolant circuit (18), and
- wherein the controller (22) is configured to:
- during absence of a first signal from the milking system (6) and associated with a commencement and an increase of a milk flow from the milking system (6) towards the milk storage tank (8), control the refrigerant circuit (20), to maintain a first predefined temperature range in a portion of the coolant circuit (18) and control the coolant circuit (18) to operate in a first mode where the circulation of the coolant is either stopped or decreased,
- responsive to receiving the first signal from the milking system (6), control the coolant circuit (18) to operate in a second mode whereby the circulation of the coolant is either started or increased in the coolant circuit (18),
- sense, via the sensor, a temperature of the milk downstream of the milk cooling apparatus (2), and
- in response to the temperature of the milk downstream of the milk cooling apparatus (2) sensed by the sensor, control a speed of the milk flow from the milking system (6) towards the milk storage tank (8) to maintain the milk in a second predefined temperature range downstream of the milk cooling apparatus (2).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.