Developing the algorithm of adaptive regulation of the platform rotation speed of the carousel conveyor milking parlour

Abstract

The productivity of the carousel (rotary) milking parlour depends on the number of milking units and the controllable rotation cycle of the platform. Continuous regulation of the platform rotation speed depending on the milking cycle of each animal standing on the platform can lead to complication of the algorithm and the control system and increased loads on the electric drive, taking into account the significant mass and inertia of the rotating platform with animals standing on it. In order to develop an algorithm for the adaptive regulation of the platform rotation speed of the conveyer milking parlour, the authors studied the cyclogram of the 36-unit carousel milking parlour with platform rotation cycles of 8, 10, 12 and 15 minutes. It was found that increasing the platform rotation cycle from 8 to 15 minutes resulted in a decrease in milk recycling from 8.75 to 0 and an increase in the average cycle productivity of the parlour from 17.5 to 26.75 cows/cycle. As the platform rotation cycle increases from 8 to 10 minutes, the average hourly productivity of the milking parlour increases from 131.25 to a maximum of 153 cows/hour. As the platform slows down to 12 and 15 min/cycle, the average hourly productivity of the milking parlour decreases to 133.5 and 107 cows/hour, respectively. The maximum value in the change of the hourly productivity is caused, on the one hand, by the increasing cyclic productivity depending on the platform rotation cycle, and, on the other hand, by its accelerated decrease caused by the corresponding decrease in the number of platform cycles for 1 h of the parlour operation. Based on the conducted research, the authors have developed an algorithm of adaptive regulation of the platform rotation speed of the carousel milking parlour, taking into account the probabilistic-statistical estimation of the complete milking time of an animal. The algorithm can be used to select the optimum platform rotation cycle and increase the milking parlour productivity from 14.65 to 42.3% (28% on average).