Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Light Backscatter Of Milk Products For Transition Sensing Using Optical Fibers, Frederick A. Payne, Czarena L. Crofcheck, Sue E. Nokes, Klat C. Kang

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Transition sensors are needed, particularly in the dairy industry, for detecting transitions in pipe flow systems from product-to-water or product-to-product (such as from chocolate to vanilla ice cream mix). Transition information is used to automatically sequence valves to minimize product waste. Optical fibers were used to measure light backscatter between 400 and 950 nm as a function of milk concentration in water and milkfat concentration in milk. The normalized response (100% for product and 0% for water) as a function of product concentration in water was approximately logarithmic for skim milk between 400 and 900 nm and approximately linear for …