MACHINE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR FILLING CONTAINER WITH POURABLE PRODUCT

• US 20160297660A1
• Filed: 03/25/2016
• Published: 10/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sidel Participations (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Sidel Participations (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: D'ERRICO, Stefano, COCCHI, Enrico
• Granted Patent: US 10,017,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/007 Applications of control, warning or safety devices in filling machinery flow-control B67C3/28
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/20 with provision for metering the liquids to be introduced, e.g. when adding syrups measuring volume, or volume flow, in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/225 Means for filling simultaneously, e.g. in a rotary filling apparatus or multiple rows of containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3209 using Karman vortices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3259 for detecting fluid pressure oscillations
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/3287 circuits therefor

Abstract

A filling system for filling a container with a pourable product, comprising: a tank configured to be filled with the pourable product; at least one filling device including a local control unit having a control module configured to selectively allow filling of the container with the pourable product; at least one duct interposed between the tank and the filling device; and at least one vortex flowmeter disposed along the duct and configured to generate a pulse-train detection signal as a function of a flow rate of the pourable product along the duct, wherein the local control unit of the filling device includes a processing module configured to process the detection signal from the at least one vortex flowmeter in order to determine an amount of the pourable product flowing into the container, as a function of a number of pulses of the detection signal.

Claims

1. A filling system for filling a container with a pourable product, comprising:

a tank configured to be filled with the pourable product;

at least one filling device including a local control unit having a control module configured to selectively allow the filling of the container with the pourable product;

at least one duct interposed between the tank and the filling device; and

at least one vortex flowmeter disposed along the duct and configured to generate a pulse-train detection signal as a function of a flow rate of the pourable product along the duct,

wherein the local control unit of the filling device includes a processing module configured to process the detection signal from the at least one vortex flowmeter in order to determine an amount of the pourable product flowing into the container, as a function of a number of pulses of the detection signal.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to calculate a volume of the pourable product in a given time interval, by multiplying the number of pulses of the detection signal in the given time interval, by a proportionality coefficient, and wherein the processing module is configured for real-time calculation of a value of the proportionality coefficient, based on a non-linear function of the flow rate.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processing module includes a first calculation stage configured to determine a value of the flow rate in a given time interval based on the detection signal, and a second calculation stage configured to calculate the value of the proportionality coefficient applying the non-linear function to the calculated flow rate and to a detected operating temperature.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the local control unit includes a non-volatile memory operatively coupled to the processing module, and wherein the second calculation stage of the processing module is configured to retrieve from the non-volatile memory information related to a plot of the non-linear function for calculation of the proportionality coefficient.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the second calculation stage of the processing module is further configured to retrieve from the non-volatile memory a calibration point for the non-linear function, including a calibration value of the proportionality coefficient for a calibration flow rate, obtained in a calibration procedure.

6. The system according to claim 2, wherein the processing module further includes a pulse counter, configured to count the number of pulses of the detection signal in a given time interval.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing module includes a filtering stage, configured to discard one or more pulses in the detection signal if the interval between rise edge and fall edge of a given pulse, or between fall edge and rise edge of two consecutive pulses, is higher or lower than a given threshold time.

8. A filling machine comprising:

a plurality of filling systems according to claim 1;

a conveyor rotating about an axis and carrying respective filling devices, wherein the tank is arranged outside or inside the conveyor; and

a central control unit, operatively coupled to the respective local control units of the filling systems in order to control filling operations thereof.

9. The machine according to claim 8, including a reference flowmeter arranged downstream of the tank, along a product feeding pipe that is selectively coupled to the respective ducts of the filling systems, and wherein the central control unit is operatively coupled to the local control units of the filling systems to receive the respective number of pulses associated with the detection signals generated by respective vortex flowmeters, and wherein the central control unit is operatively coupled to the reference flowmeter, to receive a reference number of pulses associated with related reference detection signals, the central control unit being configured to implement a calibration procedure for determining a respective calibration parameter for each vortex flowmeter, based on the respective number of pulses and the reference number of pulses, when the respective duct is coupled to the product feeding pipe so that the vortex flowmeter and the reference flowmeter are flown by a same reference flow rate of the pourable product.

10. The machine according to claim 9, wherein the processing module is configured to calculate the volume of the pourable product in a given time interval by multiplying the number of pulses of the detection signal in the given time interval, by a proportionality coefficient, and wherein the processing module is configured to calculate the value of the proportionality coefficient according to a non-linear function of the flow rate of the pourable product and of an operating temperature, and wherein the calibration parameter is a calibration point for the non-linear function, including a known value of the proportionality coefficient at the known reference flow rate, obtained in the calibration procedure.

11. The machine according to claim 9, wherein each local control unit includes a non-volatile memory operatively coupled to the processing module, and the central control unit is configured to store in the non-volatile memory the respective calibration parameter.

12. A method for filling a container with a pourable product, comprising:

filling the container with the pourable product, by via a filling device, including a local control unit having a control module configured to selectively allow the filling of the container with the pourable product;

feeding the pourable product contained in a tank, via a duct towards the filling device, wherein filling the container includes measuring the flow rate of the pourable product, via a vortex flowmeter disposed along the duct and generating a pulse-train detection signal as a function of a flow rate of the pourable product along the duct; and

processing, via the local control unit of the filling device, the detection signal in order to determine an amount of the pourable product flowing into the container as a function of a number of pulses of the detection signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein a reference flowmeter is arranged downstream of the tank, along a product feeding pipe that is selectively coupled to the duct of the filling device, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, via a central control unit, the number of pulses associated with the detection signal from the local control unit of the filling device, and a reference number of pulses associated with a related reference detection signal from the reference flowmeter; and

implementing, via the central control unit, a calibration procedure for determining a calibration parameter for the vortex flowmeter, based on the number of pulses and the reference number of pulses, when the duct is coupled to the product feeding pipe so that the vortex flowmeter and reference flowmeter are flown by a same reference flow rate of the pourable product.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein processing, via the local control unit, includes calculating the volume of the pourable product in a given time interval by multiplying the number of pulses of the detection signal in the given time interval, by a proportionality coefficient;

and calculating the value of the proportionality coefficient according to a non-linear function of the flow rate of the pourable product and of an operating temperature, and wherein the calibration parameter is a calibration point for the non-linear function, including a known value of the proportionality coefficient at the known reference flow rate, obtained in the calibration procedure.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the local control unit further includes a non-volatile memory, and wherein the method further includes storing in the non-volatile memory the calibration parameter.