Ice Thickness Control Circuit to Automate the Milk Chilling System

Milk collection is a common logistical challenge in dairy industry due to the remoteness of the villages and the road conditions. Milk chilling system plays a crucial part in the milk collection process from collection centers to the factories for processing and packaging. The total time required for milk to reach the chilling center after the farmer milks cow can be as high as 7–8 h. During this time, bacterial growth may spoil the milk leading preservation of milk to a critical issue without/insufficient cooling. The paper presents the development and implementation of an Ice Thickness Controller circuit that starts the cooling as milk can is placed in the chilling system and stops the cooling as soon as milk is cooled to desired temperature and ready for the transportation. An Ice Thickness Sensor is designed using the principle of conductivity. Outcome of the work is an automated milk cooling process that enables energy saving by running compressor on and off on reaching the thresholds of the temperatures ensuring the required ice level.