Determination of attributes of liquid substances

• US 9,316,605 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2010
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delaval Holding AB (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Delaval Holding AB (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Birk, Uzi, Livshits, David, Rabinovich, Rotem
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan
• Application Number:
  US13/820,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20130173180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/023 where the material is placed in the field of a coil
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/04 Dairy products

Abstract

A monitoring unit (100) that determines parameters (p1, p2) of an attribute (P) of a liquid substance flowing (F) through a dielectric conduit (110) includes plural coil members (121, 122) encircling the dielectric conduit (110) that subjects a flow of the liquid substance to plural different electromagnetic fields (B(f)), and under influence thereof measuring circuitry registers corresponding impedance measures (z(f)) of the liquid substance. A processor (130) derives the parameters (p1, p2) of the attribute (P) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f)).

Claims

1. A monitoring unit (100) for determining an attribute (P) of a liquid substance, comprising:

a dielectric conduit (110);

a processor (130) configured to determine said attribute (P), said attribute (P) containing a first number of different parameters (p1, p2, p3), the first number being larger than or equal to two;

a measurement element (120) comprising a second number of measuring circuits, the second number being larger than or equal to the first number,

each measuring circuit comprising a coil member (121, 122, 123) encircling the dielectric conduit (110) and connected to the processor (130),

each coil member (121, 122, 123) being configured to produce a respective electromagnetic field (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) at a spectral range (f1, f2, f3) different from the other coil members (121, 122, 123),

each of the coil members (121, 122, 123) subjecting the liquid substance, flowing through the dielectric conduit (110), to a respective one of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) of the respective different spectral range (f1, f2, f3),

when under influence of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), each of the coil members (121, 122, 123) producing a respective impedance measure (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance, flowing through said dielectric conduit, (110) in response the electromagnetic field (B(f)) applied to the liquid substance via each said coil member (121, 122, 123),

wherein the processor registers each impedance measure (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) and derives each of the first number of parameters (p1, p2, p3) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)), each of the parameters (p1, p2, p3) being derived from a plurality of the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)).

2. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein a total number of different spectral ranges of electromagnetic energy applied to the liquid substance is larger than or equal to the first number.

3. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 2, wherein each electromagnetic field (B(f)) has a spectral range (f1, f2, f3) with a different center frequency located in an interval from 1 MHz to 1500 MHz.

4. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein,

the processor (130) is associated with a data bank of coefficients describing relationships between the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance and the different parameters (p1, p2, p3) of said attribute (P), and

the processor (130) is configured to derive said parameters (p1, p2, p3) by applying at least one of analytic calculations and numerical methods to equations describing relationships between the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance and the different parameters (p1, p2, p3).

5. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein,

the processor (130) is associated with a lookup table describing relationships between the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance and the different parameters (p1, p2, p3) of said attribute (P), and

the processor (130) is configured to derive said parameters (p1, p2, p3) from said lookup table, either directly or by interpolating between values therein.

6. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein said parameters (p1, p2, p3) comprise at least one of a water content, a concentration of sodium, a pH level, and an electrical conductivity.

7. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein,

the liquid substance is milk, and

said parameters (p1, p2, p3) comprise at least one of a concentration of lactose, a concentration of fat, a concentration of protein, a concentration of urea, and a concentration of somatic cells.

8. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 7, wherein said parameters (p1, p2, p3) further comprise at least one of a concentration of macrophages, a concentration of leucocytes and a concentration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

9. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1, wherein each measuring circuitry comprises:

a power source (210) configured to generate electric energy to the coil member (120), such that in response thereto the coil member (120) produces the electromagnetic field (B(f)) having the particular spectral range (f), and

an interface (R, C) connecting to the processor (130) through which interface (R, C) the processor (130) is enabled to register said impedance measure (z(f)).

10. The monitoring unit (100) according to claim 1,

comprising at least two of said dielectric conduit (110),

the dielectric conduits (111, 112) being arranged in parallel with each other,

each of the dielectric conduits (111, 112) configured to transport a fraction of a flow (F) of the liquid substance, and

each of the dielectric conduits (111, 112) being encircled by at least of the one coil members (121, 122, 123, 124;

125, 126, 127, 128) of a respective one of said measuring circuitries.

11. A method for determining an attribute (P) of a liquid substance, said attribute (P) containing a first number of different parameters (p1, p2, p3), the first number being larger than or equal to two, the method comprising:

subjecting a flow (F) of the liquid substance, being transported through a dielectric conduit (110), to a second number of electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), the second number being larger than or equal to the first number, each of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) having a different spectral range (f1, f2, f3);

registering, in response the applied electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), corresponding impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance flowing through the dielectric conduit (110); and

deriving said attribute (P) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)),

wherein said subjecting step uses a measurement element (120) comprising the second number of measuring circuits,

each measuring circuit comprising a coil member (121, 122, 123) encircling the dielectric conduit (110) and connected to output to a processor (130),

each coil member (121, 122, 123) being configured to produce a respective one of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) at the respective spectral range (f1, f2, f3) different from the other coil members (121, 122, 123),

each of the coil members (121, 122, 123) subjecting the liquid substance, flowing through the dielectric conduit (110), to a respective one of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) of the respective different spectral range (f1, f2, f3),

when under influence of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), each of the coil members (121, 122, 123) producing a respective one of the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance flowing through said dielectric conduit (110) in response the electromagnetic field (B(f)) applied to the liquid substance via each said coil member (121, 122, 123), and

wherein in said registering step the processor registers each impedance measure (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) and derives each of the first number of parameters (p1, p2, p3) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)), each of the parameters (p1, p2, p3) being derived from a plurality of the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)).

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, a total number of different spectral ranges of electromagnetic energy applied to the liquid substance via the coil members (121, 122, 123) is larger than or equal to the first number.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein each electromagnetic field (B(f)) has a spectral range (f1, f2, f3) with a different distinct center frequency located in an interval from 1 MHz to 1500 MHz.

14. The method according to claim 11, comprising the further step of:

deriving said parameters (p1, p2, p3) by applying at least one of analytic calculations and numerical methods to a system of equations describing relationships between the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance and the different parameters (p1, p2, p3) of said attribute (P).

15. The method according to claim 11, comprising the step of:

deriving said parameters (p1, p2, p3) from a lookup table describing relationships between the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance and the different parameters (p1, p2, p3) of said attribute (P), either directly or by interpolating between values therein.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said parameters (p1, p2, p3) comprise at least one of a water content, a concentration of sodium, a pH level, and an electrical conductivity.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein,

the liquid substance is milk, and

said parameters (p1, p2, p3) comprise at least one of a concentration of lactose, a concentration of fat, a concentration of protein, a concentration of urea, and a concentration of somatic cells.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said parameters (p1, p2, p3) further comprise at least one of a concentration of macrophages, a concentration of leucocytes and a concentration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing thereon a computer program loadable into memory (M) of a computer, the computer program comprising software for controlling the computer to perform a method for determining an attribute (P) of a liquid substance, said attribute (P) containing a first number of different parameters (p1, p2, p3), the first number being larger than or equal to two, the method comprising:

subjecting a flow (F) of the liquid substance, being transported through a dielectric conduit (110), to a second number of electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), the second number being larger than or equal to the first number, each of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) having a different spectral range (f1, f2, f3);

registering, in response the applied electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), corresponding impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance when flowing through the dielectric conduit (110); and

deriving said attribute (P) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f)),

wherein said subjecting step uses a measurement element (120) comprising the second number of measuring circuits,

each measuring circuit comprising a coil member (121, 122, 123) encircling the dielectric conduit (110) and connected to output to a processor (130),

each coil member (121, 122, 123) being configured to produce a respective one of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) at the respective spectral range (f1, f2, f3) different from the other coil members (121, 122, 123),

each of the coil members (121, 122, 123) subjecting the liquid substance, flowing through the dielectric conduit (110), to a respective one of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)) of the respective different spectral range (f1, f2, f3),

when under influence of the electromagnetic fields (B(f1), B(f2), B(f3)), each of the coil members (121, 122, 123) producing a respective one of the impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) of the liquid substance flowing through said dielectric conduit (110) in response the electromagnetic field (B(f)) applied to the liquid substance via each said coil member (121, 122, 123), and

wherein in said registering step the processor registers each impedance measure (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)) and derives each of the first number of parameters (p1, p2, p3) based on the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)), each of the parameters (p1, p2, p3) being derived from a plurality of the registered impedance measures (z(f1), z(f2), z(f3)).