System and method for controlling butterfat content in standardized milk product using whole product sensor

The a method of controlling the butterfat content of a standardized milk product produced by combining low fat milk and high fat milk, the steps of:

• providing a first reference signal corresponding to desired butterfat content for the standardized milk product and a second reference signal corresponding to the desired butterfat content for the high fat milk, delivering all of the standardized milk product to a sensor to provide an output signal which varies in accordance with the butterfat content of the product, monitoring the high fat milk and providing a signal which varies in accordance with the butterfat content of the high fat milk, combining a portion of the high fat milk with the low fat milk at a point upstream of the sensor in accordance with the first reference signal and the the output signal from the sensor to control the butterfat content of the standardized product, and controlling delivery of the high fat milk to an output line in accordance with the second reference signal and the butterfat content signal for the high fat milk.

In a system adapted to produce a standardized milk product having a desired butterfat content from a stream of raw milk:

• a separator for separating the raw milk into skim milk and a cream, a product line, means for delivering the skim milk to the product line, a cream return valve connected between the separator and the product line for recombining a controlled amount of cream with the skim milk to form the standardized milk product in the product line, means for monitoring the butterfat content of all of the standardized milk product in the product line at a location downstream of where the cream is recombined with the skim milk and controlling the cream return valve to maintain the butterfat content of the standardized product at a predetermined level, an excess cream valve controlling delivery of cream from the separator to a cream output line, and means for monitoring the butterfat content of the cream and controlling the excess cream valve to maintain the butterfat content of the cream in the output line at a desired level.

In a method of producing a standardized milk product having a desired butterfat content from a stream of raw milk, the steps of:

• separating the raw milk into skim milk and cream, delivering the skim milk to a product line, delivering a portion of the cream through a cream return valve to the product line for recombination with the skim milk to form the standardized milk product in the product line, monitoring the butterfat content of all of the standardized milk product in the product line at a location downstream of where the cream is delivered to the line and controlling the cream return valve to maintain the butterfat content of the standardized product in the line at a redetermined level, delivering the remainder of the cream through an excess cream valve to a cream output line, and monitoring the butterfat content of the cream and controlling the excess cream valve to maintain the butterfat content of the cream in the output line at a desired level.

In a system adapted to produce the butterfat content of a standardized milk product produced by combining low fat milk and high fat milk:

• means for providing a first reference signal corresponding to a desired butterfat content for the standardized milk product and a second reference signal corresponding to a desired butterfat content for the high fat milk, means for monitoring the milk product and providing an output signal which varies in accordance with the butterfat content of the milk product, a sensor adapted to provide a signal which varies in accordance with the butterfat content of milk monitored thereby, means for delivering all of the high fat milk to the sensor so that the signal provided by the sensor varies in accordance with the butterfat content of the high fat milk, means including a valve responsive to the first reference signal and to the output signal for combining a portion of the high fat milk with the low fat milk at a location upstream of the sensor to control the butterfat content of the standardized product, and valve means responsive to the second reference signal and to the signal from the sensor for controlling delivery of the high fat milk to an output line.

In a method of controlling the butterfat content of a standardized milk product produced by combining low fat milk and high fat milk, the steps of:

• providing a first reference signal corresponding to desired butterfat content for the standardized milk product and a second reference signal corresponding to the desired butterfat content for the high fat milk, monitoring the standardized milk product and providing a milk product signal which varies in accordance with the butterfat content of the standardized milk product, delivering all of the high fat milk to a second to provide an output signal which varies in accordance with the butterfat content of the high fat milk, combining a portion of the high fat milk with the low fat milk at a point upstream of where the standardized milk product is monitored in accordance with the first reference signal and the milk product signal to control the butterfat content of the standardized product, and controlling delivery of the high fat milk to an output line in accordance with the second reference signal and the butterfat content signal for the high fat milk.

In a system adopted to produce a standardized milk product having a desired butterfat content from a stream of raw milk:

• a separator for separating the raw milk into skim milk and cream, a product line, means for delivering the skim milk to the product line, a cream return valve connected between the separator and the product line for recombining a controlled amount of cream with the skim milk to form the standardized milk product in the product line, means for monitoring the butterfat content of the standardized milk product in the product line at a location downstream of where the cream is recombined with the skim milk and controlling the cream return valve to maintain the butterfat content of the standardized product at a predetermined level, an excess cream valve controlling delivery of cream from the separator to a cream output line, and means for monitoring the butterfat content of all of the cream from the separator and controlling the excess cream valve to maintain the butterfat content of the cream in the output line at a desired level.

In a method of producing a standardized milk product having a desired butterfat content from a stream of raw milk, the steps of:

• separating the raw milk into skim milk and cream, delivering the skim milk to a product line, delivering a portion of the cream through a cream return valve to the product line for recombination with the skim milk to form the standardized milk product in the product line, monitoring the butterfat content of the standardized milk product in the product line at a location downstream of where the cream is delivered to the line and controlling the cream return valve to maintain the butterfat content of the standardized product in the line at a predetermined level, delivering the remainder of the cream through an excess cream valve to a cream output line, monitoring the butterfat content of all of the cream from the separator, and controlling the excess cream valve to maintain the butterfat content of the cream in the output line at a desired level.