System and method for accurate weight measurement on a weigh belt

A method of determining a flow rate of a product and a total weight of the product at a plurality of points on a weigh belt in a weigh belt system, the weigh belt system including

• an elongated, continuous, driven weigh belt oriented to receive product at an entrance point, and to transport the received product to an exit point;
• a pulse-generating element configured to generate a plurality of pulses associated with the movement of the weigh belt,
• a weight-determining element configured to determine a weight of the product on the weigh belt, and
• an electronic processing element,
• the method comprising the following actions performed by the electronic processing element:
• determining a speed of the weigh belt based on the plurality of pulses generated by the pulse-generating element;
• dividing a length of the weigh belt between the entrance and exit points into a plurality of discrete measurement units, wherein the plurality of discrete measurement units form a line of discrete measurement units between the entrance and exit points;
• determining the total weight of the product that has reached the entrance point, the exit point, and at least one intermediate point on the weigh belt;
• determining the flow rate of the product at the entrance point, the exit point, and the at least one intermediate point;
• and
• reporting the total weight and the flow rate of the product at the entrance point, the exit point, and the at least one intermediate point.

A method of determining a flow rate of a product and a total weight of the product at a plurality of points on a weigh belt in a weigh belt system, the weigh belt system including

• an elongated, continuous, driven weigh belt oriented to receive product at an entrance point, and to transport the received product to an exit point;
• a pulse-generating element configured to generate a plurality of pulses associated with the movement of the weight belt,
• a weight-determining element configured to determine a weight of the product on the weigh belt, and
• an electronic processing element,
• the method comprising the following actions performed by the electronic processing element:
• determining a speed of the weigh belt based on the plurality of pulses generated by the pulse-generating element;
• dividing a length of the weigh belt between the entrance and exit points into a plurality of discrete measurement units, wherein a size of each discrete measurement unit is based on a time period between consecutive pulses generated by the pulse-generating element, wherein the plurality of discrete measurement units form a line of discrete measurement units between the entrance and exit points, and wherein as the weigh belt transports the product to the exit point, each discrete measurement unit advances until the discrete measurement unit reaches the exit point and then returns to a beginning of the line of discrete measurement units;
• determining a weight of the product for each discrete measurement unit on the weigh belt, wherein when a particular discrete measurement unit is located at the entrance point and receives the product, the processing element compares the prior weight of the product on the weigh belt as determined by the weight-determining element to the current weight of the product on the weigh belt as determined by the weight-determining element, and attributes the difference in the weight of the product to the particular discrete measurement unit located at the entrance point;
• determining the total weight of the product that has reached the entrance point, the exit point, and at least one intermediate point on the weigh belt by adding the weight of the product attributed to all of the discrete measurement units that have reached each point;
• determining the flow rate of the product at the entrance point, the exit point, and the at least one intermediate point based on the weight of the product attributed to the particular discrete measurement unit at that point and the speed of the weigh belt;
• and
• reporting the total weight and the flow rate of the product at the entrance point, the exit point, and the at least one intermediate point.