Method for measuring flow rate of a continuous fluid flow

A method for measuring flow rate of a continuous milk flow in a conduit comprising:

• transporting within the conduit in a selected direction the continuous milk flow varying in height up to a maximum height wherein said maximum height is less than the height which would occlude said conduit and wherein said milk flow has a known cross-sectional area;
• generating with a first detector a first signal at a first predetermined location representing a height of a selected section of the continuous milk flow at said first predetermined location and for generating with a second detector a second signal at a second predetermined location located in a selected direction and a known distance representing that said selected section of the continuous milk flow has traversed from said first predetermined location to said second predetermined location;
• generating a third signal representing the conductivity of the milk forming said continuous milk flow;
• creating a data stream from said first signal, said second signal and said third signal;
• calculating from said data stream the average height of said selected section of the continuous milk flow at said first predetermined location;
• calculating from said data stream an elapsed time for the selected section of said continuous milk flow to traverse said known distance;
• calculating from said data stream an average conductivity of the milk from the data stream;
• deriving the cross-sectional area of said selected section and compensating the derived cross-sectional area for variance in conductivity;
• calculating the volume of milk flow using the cross-sectional area and elapsed time;
• and
• generating an output signal representing the calculated volume of milk flow in said conduit.

A method for measuring flow rate of a continuous fluid flow comprising

• sampling on a periodic basis and generating a plurality of first signals at a first predetermined location representing heights of a plurality of selected sections of the continuous fluid flow having a known cross-sectional area at said first predetermined location and for generating a plurality of second signals at a second predetermined location located in a selected direction and a known distance from said first predetermined location representing that each of said plurality of selected sections of the continuous fluid flow has traversed from said first predetermined location to said second predetermined location;
• generating a third signal representing the conductivity of the fluid;
• receiving said first signal, said second signal and said third signal and creating a data stream therefrom;
• calculating from said data stream an elapsed time for the selected section of said continuous fluid flow to traverse said known distance;
• calculating from said data stream an average conductivity of the fluid from the data stream;
• deriving the cross-sectional area of said selected section from said height of the selected section and compensating the derived cross-sectional area for variance in conductivity;
• calculating the volume of fluid flow using the cross-sectional area and elapsed time;
• and
• generating an output signal representing the calculated volume of fluid flow in said conduit.