Method and system for processing milk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11122768-B2
Application number	US-201816956602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2018
Priority date	Dec 22, 2017
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A method for processing milk, including separating raw milk into cream and skim milk, determining protein contents in the skim milk and the cream, dividing the skim milk into a first skim milk portion and a second skim milk portion, filtering the second skim milk portion into a permeate and a protein rich retentate, determining protein content in the permeate, calculating which flow rates are required for the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate to obtain a predetermined protein content of a mixture of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate, which together form a standardized milk product.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for processing milk, said method comprising:
separating raw milk into cream and skim milk, wherein the cream is fed to a main cream pipe and the skim milk is fed to a main skim milk pipe,
determining protein content in the skim milk,
determining protein content in the cream,
dividing the cream in the main cream pipe into a cream remix portion fed into a cream remix pipe and a surplus cream portion fed into a surplus cream pipe,
dividing the skim milk in the main skim milk pipe into a first skim milk portion fed into a first skim milk pipe and a second skim milk portion fed into a second skim milk pipe,
filtering, by using a filtration device, the second skim milk portion into a permeate fed into a permeate pipe and a retentate fed into a retentate pipe, such that the retentate has a higher protein content than the permeate,
determining protein content in the permeate,
calculating, based on the protein contents of the skim milk, the cream remix portion and the permeate, flow rates that are required for the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate to obtain a predetermined protein content of a mixture of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate,
controlling a set of valves that are arranged to regulate a flow of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate, such that said calculated flow rates are obtained, and
combining at least the first skim milk portion, the permeate and the cream remix portion into a standardized milk product.

2. The method according to claim 1 , comprising diverting at least a portion of the retentate via a surplus retentate pipe connected to the retentate pipe.

3. The method according to claim 1 , comprising
diverting at least a portion of the permeate via a surplus permeate pipe connected to the permeate pipe.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the combining comprises
combining at least of portion of the retentate with the first skim milk portion, the permeate and the cream remix portion, to thereby adjust a protein content of the standardized milk product.

5. The method according to claim 1 , comprising
determining fat content in the cream,
determining fat content in the skim milk,
wherein the calculating of said flow rates is based also on the fat content of the cream and the fat content of the skim milk, to obtain a predetermined fat content of the standardized milk product formed by the combining of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a temperature of the second skim milk portion is 3-25 degrees Celsius.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising
feeding the standardized milk product to a heat treatment apparatus.

8. A system for processing milk, said system comprising:
a separator arranged to receive raw milk via a raw milk pipe and to feed cream into a main cream pipe and skim milk into a main skim milk pipe,
a skim milk protein content determining device arranged to determine protein content in the skim milk,
a cream protein content determining device arranged to determine protein content in the cream,
wherein the cream in the main cream pipe is divided into a cream remix portion fed into a cream remix pipe and a surplus cream portion fed into a surplus cream pipe,
wherein the skim milk in the main skim milk pipe is divided into a first skim milk portion fed into a first skim milk pipe and a second skim milk portion fed into a second skim milk pipe,
a filtration device arranged to filter the second skim milk portion into a permeate fed into a permeate pipe and a retentate fed into a retentate pipe, such that the retentate has a higher protein content than the permeate,
a permeate protein content determining device arranged to determine protein content in the permeate,
a control arrangement configured to, based on the protein contents of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate, calculate flow rates that are required for the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate to obtain a predetermined protein content of a mixture of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate,
a set of valves arranged to regulate a flow of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate, such that said calculated flow rates are obtained,
wherein the control arrangement is further configured to control the set of valves that are arranged to regulate the flow of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate, such that said calculated flow rates are obtained, and
a standardized product pipe, wherein the first skim milk pipe, the permeate pipe and the cream surplus pipe feed into the standardized product pipe such that at least the first skim milk portion, the permeate and the cream remix portion are combined into a standardized milk product.

9. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising a surplus retentate pipe provided on the retentate pipe.

10. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising a surplus permeate pipe provided on the permeate pipe.

11. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the retentate pipe feed into the standardized product pipe such that at least a portion of the retentate can be combined with the first skim milk portion, the permeate and the cream remix portion, to thereby adjust a protein content of the standardized milk product.

12. The system according to claim 8 , further comprising
a cream fat content determining device configured to determine a fat content in the cream,
a skim milk fat content determining device configured to determine a fat content in the skim milk,
wherein the control arrangement is further configured to calculate the flow rates based also on the fat content of the cream and the fat content of the skim milk, to obtain a predetermined fat content of the standardized milk product formed by combining the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate.

13. The system according to claim 8 , wherein the system is configured to directly feed the standardized milk product to a ultra-high temperature treatment apparatus.

14. The system according to claim 8 , wherein a temperature of the second skim milk portion is 3-25 Celsius degrees.

15. A control arrangement for controlling a system comprising a separator arranged to receive raw milk via a raw milk pipe and to feed cream into a main cream pipe and skim milk into a main skim milk pipe, wherein the cream in the main cream pipe is divided into a cream remix portion fed into a cream remix pipe and a surplus cream portion fed into a surplus cream pipe, wherein the skim milk in the main skim milk pipe is divided into a first skim milk portion fed into a first skim milk pipe and a second skim milk portion fed into a second skim milk pipe,
a filtration device arranged to filter the second skim milk portion into a permeate fed into a permeate pipe and a retentate fed into a retentate pipe, such that the retentate has a higher protein content than the permeate,
a set of valves arranged to regulate a flow of the first skim milk portion, the cream remix portion and the permeate, such that said calculated flow rates are obtained,
a standardized product pipe, wherein the first skim milk pipe, the permeate pipe and the cream surplus pipe feed into the standardized product pipe such that at least the first skim milk portion, the permeate and the cream remix portion are combined into a standardized milk product,
said control arra

Assignees

• Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance

Inventors

• Önnheim Magnus
• Loserius Anna

Classifications

• A01J11/12 Primary

  Appliances for removing cream · CPC title

• A23C9/1422

  by ultrafiltration, microfiltration or diafiltration of milk, e.g. for separating protein and lactose; Treatment of the UF permeate · CPC title

• A23C9/1508 Primary

  Dissolving or reconstituting milk powder; Reconstitution of milk concentrate with water; Standardisation of fat content of milk · CPC title

• A01J11/10

  Separating milk from cream · CPC title