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EP-4739099-A1 - ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MILKING VACUUM LEVELS

EP4739099A1EP 4739099 A1EP4739099 A1EP 4739099A1EP-4739099-A1

Abstract

A milking arrangement and method of controlling a milking arrangement where a milking unit is configured to be attached to teats of a dairy animal during a milking operation. A vacuum supply system is arranged to provide a milking vacuum to the milking unit for extracting milk from the dairy animal. A sensor is configured to measure at least one property of milk, such as conductivity, extracted from the dairy animal and provide an output. A control unit is configured to control the vacuum supply system to provide a first milking vacuum level. The control unit is further configured to obtain the output from the sensor and control the vacuum supply system to change from the first milking vacuum level to a second milking vacuum level when at least one condition is fulfilled.

Inventors

  • PAULRUD, Carl Oskar
  • ÄLVEBY, Nils

Assignees

  • DeLaval Holding AB

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240624

Claims (20)

  1. 1. A milking arrangement comprising a milking unit (1, 2) configured to be attached to teats of a dairy animal during a milking operation, a vacuum supply system (127, 219) arranged to provide milking vacuum (P) to the milking unit (1, 2) for extracting milk from the dairy animal, a sensor (121, 122, 123, 124) configured to measure at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal and provide an output, and a control unit (126) configured to control the vacuum supply system (127, 219) to provide a first milking vacuum level (P1 ), characterized in that the control unit (126) is configured to obtain the output from the sensor (121, 122, 123, 124) and control the vacuum supply system (127, 219) to change from the first milking vacuum level (P1) to a second milking vacuum level (P2) when at least one condition is fulfilled.
  2. 2. The milking arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the at least one condition is that the sensor output indicates that a change of the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal exceeds a threshold value and/or when the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal reaches a preset value.
  3. 3. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the second milking vacuum level (P2) is higher than the first milking vacuum level (P1).
  4. 4. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal comprises conductivity.
  5. 5. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal comprises an optical property.
  6. 6. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the sensor (121, 122, 123, 124) is arranged in a teat cup (111, 112, 113, 114) of the milking unit (1, 2).
  7. 7. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the milking unit (1, 2) comprises a milking cluster (100) which comprises a plurality of teat cups (111 , 112, 113, 114), a central claw (115) and a short milk tube (116, 117, 118, 119) extending between the central claw (115) and the respective plurality of teat cups (111 , 112, 113, 114), wherein the sensor (121, 122, 123, 124) is arranged in the short milk tube (116, 117, 118, 119) or the central claw (115).
  8. 8. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein the milking unit (1 , 2) comprises a plurality of teat cups (111, 112, 113, 114) each connected to a respective milk conduit (211 , 212, 213, 214), and wherein the milking arrangement comprises a plurality of sensors (121 , 122, 123, 124) configured to measure at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal, wherein each of the sensors (121 , 122, 123, 124) are arranged in a respective milk conduit (211, 212, 213, 214).
  9. 9. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the control unit (126) is configured to obtain an identity of the dairy animal, and wherein the milking arrangement comprises a storage unit (130) configured to store the measurements of the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal.
  10. 10. The milking arrangement according to claims 2 and 9, wherein the preset value is based on individual historical data of the measured at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal or on common historical data of the measured at least one property of milk extracted from a plurality of dairy animals.
  11. 11. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 2-9, comprising a milk meter (125, 215, 216, 217, 218) configured to measure milk flow of milk extracted from the dairy animal, wherein the sensor (121, 122, 123, 124) registers a value of the at least one property of milk corresponding to a high milk flow measured by the milk meter (125, 215, 216, 217, 218), and the preset value is based on that registered value.
  12. 12. The milking arrangement according to any one of claims 1-11, wherein the control unit (126) is configured to change from the first milking vacuum level (P1) to the second milking vacuum level (P2) at a predetermined delay time after the at least one condition is fulfilled.
  13. 13. A method (500) of controlling a milking arrangement, the method comprising the steps of attaching (501) a milking unit (1 , 2) to teats of a dairy animal to be milked, providing (502) a first milking vacuum level (P1) to the milking unit (1, 2) for extracting milk from the dairy animal, obtaining (503) a measurement of at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal, changing (504) from the first milking vacuum level (P1) to a second milking vacuum level (P2) when the obtained measurement fulfills at least one condition.
  14. 14. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to claim 13, wherein the at least one condition is that the obtained measurement indicates that a change of the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal exceeds a threshold value and/or when the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal reaches a preset value.
  15. 15. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to any one of claims 13 or 14, wherein the second milking vacuum level (P2) is higher than the first milking vacuum level (P1).
  16. 16. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to any one of claims 13- 15, wherein the at least one property of the milk extracted from the dairy animal is conductivity.
  17. 17. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to any one of claims 13- 15, wherein the at least one property of the milk extracted from the dairy animal is an optical property.
  18. 18. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to any one of claims 13- 17, comprising the steps of Obtaining (505) the identity of the animal, and storing (506) the measurements of the at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal.
  19. 19. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to claims 14 and 18, wherein the preset value is based on individual historical data of the measured at least one property of milk extracted from the dairy animal or on common historical data of the measured at least one property of milk extracted from a plurality of dairy animals.
  20. 20. The method of controlling a milking arrangement according to any one of claims 14- 18, comprising the steps of measuring (507) milk flow of milk extracted from the dairy animal, and registering (508) a value of the at least one property of milk corresponding to a high milk flow, wherein the preset value is based on that registered value.

Description

ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING MILKING VACUUM LEVELS TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to milking of dairy animals. More specifically the invention relates to a milking arrangement and a method for controlling milking vacuum levels. BACKGROUND During a milking operation, milk is extracted from a dairy animal by attaching teat cups to the teats of the dairy animal and applying, by means of a vacuum supply system, a milking vacuum to the teat cups for extracting the milk. Each teat cups comprises a liner wherein the liner is exposed to a pulsating vacuum which makes it open and close. The opening and closing of the liner massages the teats of the dairy animal which stimulates the teats and causes an oxytocin release. This activates the milk ejection reflex which results in milk letdown. The first milk to be extracted from the dairy animal is the cisternal milk which is followed by the alveolar milk. The transition between the cisternal milk and the alveolar milk can be a gradual transition, i.e. the extracted milk may be a mix between cisternal milk and alveolar milk. During a milking operation, a modern milking machine typically applies a vacuum pressure level that varies over time in order to match the variations in milk flow from the dairy animal’s udder. For example, to instigate the milk flow, a so-called stimulation milking vacuum level may be applied. Shortly thereafter, it is expected that a considerable milk flow has been brought about, and therefore a standard milking vacuum level is applied. The milk extraction can be made even more efficient, if yet another milking vacuum level is introduced, namely a so-called boost vacuum, where the sub pressure is further increased in relation to the standard milking vacuum level, i.e. to a level even further below the atmospheric pressure. Analogously, when the milk flow decreases towards the end of the milking procedure, it is often preferable to reduce the vacuum pressure, i.e. adjust the sub pressure to a level closer to the atmospheric pressure, in order to not risk harming the dairy animal’s teats. During the extraction of the cisternal milk, which is extracted prior to the alveolar milk, the milk flow is relatively low and thus the milking vacuum level should be low. During the extraction of alveolar milk the milk flow is higher and thus the milking vacuum level can be increased. So, during the milking operation the milk extraction starts with a milking vacuum at a first milking vacuum level and when the milk flow has increased and reached a threshold limit the milking vacuum is elevated, i.e. the sub atmospheric pressure is increased, to a second vacuum level. This elevated milking vacuum level may be a boost phase where the vacuum pressure is increased to preferably 48-60 kPa. When varying the vacuum pressure it is important that the variations are adequately timed, especially when boost vacuum is used. Thus in the known solutions, the flow of the milk is used as an indicator for controlling the milking vacuum levels during the milking operation. Usually, the milk flow is measured by a milk meter. SUMMARY It is important that the milking vacuum level during the boost phase is not applied excessively or in inappropriate stages of the milking procedure. The object of the invention is to provide a solution that enables an animal-friendly, simple and efficient milking operation of the dairy animal where especially the milking time can be decreased. There are differences in the constituent of the cisternal milk and the alveolar milk, e.g. the alveolar milk has a higher fat content than the cisternal milk. Other differences could be protein content, cell count, salinity etc. Consequently, the cisternal milk and the alveolar milk has different intrinsic properties, e.g. different electrical properties like conductivity, different optical properties, etc. For example, the conductivity in the alveolar milk is lower than in the cisternal milk. According to one aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a milking arrangement comprising a milking unit configured to be attached to teats of a dairy animal during a milking operation. The dairy animal may be a dairy cow, but it can also be other dairy animals like sheep or goats etc. The milking arrangement may be an automatic milking arrangement consisting of e.g. at least one milking robot or it may be a conventional milking arrangement, e.g. a milking parlour. The milking arrangement may also be a rotary system. A vacuum supply system is arranged to provide milking vacuum to the milking unit for extracting milk from the dairy animal. A sensor is configured to measure at least one property of the milk, which may be any intrinsic property of the milk, extracted from the dairy animal and provide an output. The sensor measures the at least one property of milk, extracted from the dairy animal, during the milking operation. A control unit is configured to control the vacuum supply system to