Measuring systems for milk - calibration with water and milk
Project Description
The project deals with measuring systems (MS) for milk, be it on the one hand fixed or transportable, on the other hand for the reception or for the delivery of milk.Whereas in most European countries these MS are subject to pattern approval and to initial and subsequent verification, some calibration bodies use water as the test liquid.
Although using water as the test liquid for the calibration has obvious commercial and practical advantages, the measurement results with milk in service may vary from the calibration with water.
This project shall therefore examine the error curve-shift between the calibration with water and with milk leading to the conditions under which it is admissible to substitute milk by water.
The examination shall be performed using four types of meters
These meters firstly shall be tested under reference conditions on a water test bench using water and then on a test bench using milk (the fact that no one might have a test bench for milk will force us to make some improvisations with a piping system maybe in a dairy, where the dimensions of the piping system roughly resemble those of the water test bench), and secondly in a given MS (e.g. installed on a raod tanker), also using milk and water as the test liquid.
Since this problem is know to all of us the BEV proposes this project in order to collect the different experiences of the participating members. in order to make the testing facilities more comparable a meter of high measurement quality (provided by BEV) is foreseen to be used as a reference standard
Final Report 2005-03-19
The project has been finished and the detailed report can be downloaded here>>.
The purpose of this project was to examine the error curve-shift between the calibration of meters (installed in milk measuring systems) by once using water and then milk as the test liquid, thus leading to a definite general statement under which conditions it is admissible to substitute milk by water.
The examinations were performed using 4 types of meters (Qmax ≤ 500 l/min):
- Coriolis, Vortex, MID (electromagnetic meter), rotation piston meter
The purpose of this project was not achieved by the performed tests. Further testing seems to be necessary to get more consistent results. Nevertheless, some remarkable test results were achieved by testing with milk.
No other partner was willing to join the project.