Method for continuously determining the composition and mass flow of butter and similar substances from a manufacturing process

• US 4,266,425 A
• Filed: 11/09/1979
• Issued: 05/12/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zikonix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Zikonix Corporation
• Inventors: Allport, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roskos, Joseph W.
• Application Number:
  US06/092,983
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: 73/61 R, 73/53, 73/32 R, 250/272, 250/273, 364/550, 364/556, 324/61 R
• US Class Current: 73/61.41
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/203 Measuring back scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/04 Dairy products

Abstract

A method for continuously determining the water and fat content of a material such as butter which involves instantaneous measurements of the density of the substance, as well as either the dielectric constant or radiative backscatter intensity. Signals representing these non-destructive measurements are fed to a computer and compared with values of the same parameters which were previously measured by laboratory destructive tests. The comparison permits a calculation of the composition of the substance, specifically fat and water content. In the case of a salted material, salt content can also be calculated.

Claims

1. A non-destructive method for continuously determining the water and fat content of a material with known curd content such as butter as it emerges from the manufacturing process comprising:

continuously measuring the dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

continuously calculating the water and fat content of the material by comparing the measured dielectric constant, the measured density and the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

2. A non-destructive method for continuously determining the water, fat and salt content of a material with known curd content such as salted butter as it emerges from a manufacturing process using brine as a source of salt comprising:

continuously measuring the dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the brine flow into the manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the velocity of the material outflow from the manufacturing process,

using the measured density and the measured velocity to determine the mass flow of the material,

comparing the brine flow to the mass flow to determine the salt content of the material,

calculating the water, fat and salt content of the material by comparing the measured dielectric constant, the measured density, the measured velocity, the measured brine flow, and the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

3. A non-destructive method for continuously determining the water and fat content of a material with known curd content such as butter as it emerges from a manufacturing process comprising:

continuously measuring the density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

continuously measuring the intensity of low energy X or gamma ray radiation backscattered from the material as it is irradiated,

continuously calculating the water and fat content by comparing measured density, the measured backscattered intensity, the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

4. A non-destructive method for continuously determining the water, fat, and salt content of a material with known curd content such as salted butter as it emerges from the manufacturing process using brine as a source of salt comprising:

continuously measuring the density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

continuously measuring the intensity of backscattered soft X-ray or gamma radiation from the material as it is irradiated,

continuously measuring the velocity of the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process;

calculating the mass flow of the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process;

continuously measuring the brine flow into the manufacturing process;

calculating the water, fat, and salt content by comparing the measured density, the measured velocity, the measured backscattered X-ray intensity, the known curd content, and the measured brine flow to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

5. A non-destructive method for continuously determining the water, fat and salt content of a material with a known curd content, such as salted butter, as it emerges from a manufacturing process using brine as a source of salt comprising;

continuously measuring the density of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process;

continuously measuring the velocity of the material outlflow from the manufacturing process,

calculating the instantaneous mass flow of the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the brine flow into the manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

continuously measuring the intensity of low energy X or gamma ray radiation backscattered from the material as it is irradiated,

continuously calculating the water, fat and salt content by comparing calculated mass flow, the measured brine flow and dielectric constant, the measured backscattered intensity, the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

6. A non-destructive method for determining the water, salt and fat content of a material with known curd content, such as butter, as it emerges from a manufacturing process comprising:

measuring the instantaneous dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manfacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

measuring the intensity of low energy X or gamma ray radiation backscattered from the material as it is irradiated,

calculating the water, salt and fat content by comparing the measured instantaneous dielectric constant, the measured instantaneous density, the measured backscattered intensity, the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

7. A non-destructive method for continuously determining the water, salt and fat content of a material with known curd content, such as butter, as it emerges from a manufacturing process comprising:

continuously measuring the dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process,

continuously measuring the density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radation,

continuously measuring the intensity of low energy X or gamma ray radiation backscattered from the material as it is irradiated,

continuously calculating the water, salt and fat content by comparing the measured dielectric constant, the measured density, the measured backscattered intensity, the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

8. A non-destructive method for determining the water and fat content of a material with known curd content, such as butter, as it emerges from a manufacturing process comprising:

measuring the instantaneous dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

calculating the water and fat content of the material by comparing the measured instantaneous dielectric constant, the measured instantaneous density and the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

9. A non-destructive method for determing the water, fat and salt content of a material with known curd content, such as salted butter, as it emerges from a manufacturing process using brine as a source of salt comprising:

continuously measuring the dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous brine flow into the manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous velocity of the material outflow from the manufacturing process,

using the measured density and the measured velocity to determine the mass flow of the material,

comparing the brine flow to the mass flow to determine the salt content of the material,

calculating the water, fat and salt content of the material by comparing the measured dielectric constant, the measured density, the measured velocity, the measured brine flow, and the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

10. A non-destructive method for determining the water and fat content of a material with known curd content such as butter as it emerges from a manufacturing process comprising:

measuring the instantaneous density of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

measuring the instantaneous intensity of low energy X or gamma ray radiation backscattered from the material as it is irradiated,

calculating the water and fat content by comparing the measured instantaneous density, the measured backscattered intensity, the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

11. A non-destructive method for determining the water, fat and salt content of a material with a known curd content, such as salted butter, as it emerges from a manufacturing process using brine as a source of salt comprising:

measuring the instantaneous density of the material after it emerges from a manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous velocity of the material outflow from the manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous brine flow into the manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous dielectric constant of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

measuring the instantaneous intensity of low energy X or gamma ray radiation backscattered from the material as it is irradiated,

calculating the water and fat content by comparing measured density, the measured brine flow and backscattered intensity, the known curd content to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.

12. A non-destructive method for determining the water, fat and salt content of a material with known curd content such as salted butter as it emerges from a manufacturing process using brine as a source of salt comprising:

measuring the instantaneous density of the material after it emerges from the manufacturing process,

irradiating the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process with low energy X or gamma ray radiation,

measuring the intensity of backscattered X-ray or gamma ray radiation from the material as it is irradiated,

measuring the instantaneous velocity of the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process,

calculating the instantaneous mass flow of the material as it emerges from the manufacturing process,

measuring the instantaneous brine flow into the manufacturing process,

calculating the water, fat and salt content by comparing the measured instantaneous density, the measured instantaneous velocity, the measured backscattered X-ray intensity, the known curd content and the measured instantaneous brine flow to calibration values determined from prior laboratory tests.