Dairy Automation and Data logging
The project ?Supervisory Control and Data acquisition for a Dairy Farm Automation? is to give a proof of concept of automation of a dairy farm where cows are raised and milked using four suction cups with an objective to supervise the farm at a focal point for all the accumulated data about each cow
2025-06-28 16:31:02 - Adil Khan
Dairy Automation and Data logging
Project Area of Specialization Internet of ThingsProject SummaryThe project “Supervisory Control and Data acquisition for a Dairy Farm Automation” is to give a proof of concept of automation of a dairy farm where cows are raised and milked using four suction cups with an objective to supervise the farm at a focal point for all the accumulated data about each cow’s health, wellbeing and the milk that it is producing. The four suction cups will be attached to an adjacent flowmeter to measure the flow rate of the milk being sucked out of the cow and this will be displayed at the screen. Furthermore, sprinklers will be added to regulate the temperature within the shed. In summers when the temperatures are way too hot, the sprinklers will automatically turn On/Off until it reaches a desired temperature. Each cow will have its own identification number attached and the data of them will be stored in the backlog storage against its relative code using tag scanner or QR barcode scanner. This data of each cow recovered after the milks being sucked out will be stored in the “farm computer”. The farm computer will analyze the data and generate control commands in form of alarms and devices actuation.
Project ObjectivesFollowing are objectives of the project:
- Tag scanning of each cow before milking.
- Cow milking data acquisition, which includes data of flow rate and milk level in tank.
- Monitoring of milk delivery: Milk quantity delivered to the consumers/customers.
- To monitor and control the cow shed environment temperature.
- Monitoring the shed’s store room environment (smoke, humidity and temperature) to know the emergency situation.
Develop and interface the SCADA display screen for above tasks
Project Implementation Method1. Tag Scanning of Cows:
Design and develop the tag placement and identification mechanism and interfacing with computer at model scale. The cows to be milked are first identified through a tag scanner. Once the tag is scanned the cow’s data will be saved against unique code of each cow.
2. Milking Mechanism:
Design, implement and interface the milking and milk measurement mechanism. For milking, we are using sucking machines in which four suction tubes are attached, from where a vacuum is generated and the milks are drawn into the pipe where a flow meter will give flow rate of each individual cow.
3. Milk Storage and Delivery:
Design and implement milk storage and delivery mechanism at model scale. Once the milk is drawn from the suction tubes of all the respective cows, the total accumulated milk will be transferred via pipes to a large tank where it will be stored and will be available to be delivered.
4. Environment Monitoring and Control:
Install temperature sensors and water sprinklers in cow shed and interface with the computer to monitor the temperature and control the cow shed environment temperature. Also to monitor the shed’s store room environment install and interface smoke, humidity and temperature sensors.
5. SCADA:
In order to monitor and control the selected features of the Dairy Farm at supervisory level, design a display screen and implement on the computer by interfacing with sensors and actuators of the model scaled Dairy Farm.
Benefits of the ProjectThis project is based on concept of Industrial Automation. An industry chosen for the project is agriculture industry, mainly Dairy Farming Automation. This automation will not only provide a substitute of farm labour, but it also has potential to deliver a range of significant additional benefits i.e. reducing labour work, saving time; It can improve farm productivity and profitability, including better process control and far superior quality control. Rather than having to work harder, it enables farmers to 'work smarter'.
Automation can replace repetitive manual processes that farm labour is unable to apply with consistency. Consequently, lifestyle considerations have become a strong driver for automation on many farms. Farmers are now putting a much higher value on lifestyle, most particularly on the availability of more free time for their family, and this is being used to justify capital investment in labour-saving technologies.
Technical Details of Final DeliverableThe final deliverable will be in form of the prototype of scaled model of an automated Dairy Farm with SCADA. The Modules included in the project will be:
1. Scaled model of a Dairy Farm with sensors and actuators (Field Unit).
2. Human Machine Interface (HMI).
3. Supervisory Unit
Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry AgricultureOther IndustriesCore Technology Internet of Things (IoT)Other TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 80000 | |||
| RFID sensor full kit | Equipment | 1 | 5000 | 5000 |
| Scanner | Equipment | 1 | 6000 | 6000 |
| HMI | Equipment | 1 | 15000 | 15000 |
| Solenoid sprinkler | Equipment | 1 | 4500 | 4500 |
| Suction machine and container | Equipment | 1 | 13000 | 13000 |
| Flow meter | Equipment | 1 | 7000 | 7000 |
| Temperature sensor | Equipment | 2 | 1500 | 3000 |
| Humidity sensor | Equipment | 2 | 500 | 1000 |
| Motor | Equipment | 1 | 5000 | 5000 |
| Arduino Uno | Equipment | 2 | 1000 | 2000 |
| LCD | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Digital Meter | Equipment | 1 | 3500 | 3500 |
| Power Supply | Equipment | 1 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Others | Miscellaneous | 1 | 10000 | 10000 |