What is the function of an automotive air conditioning expansion valve?
1 Answers
The primary functions of an automotive air conditioning expansion valve are throttling and controlling the flow of refrigerant. Below are the relevant details about automotive air conditioning expansion valves: 1. Function of a thermal expansion valve: The thermal expansion valve is installed at the inlet of the evaporator and is commonly referred to as the expansion valve. It has two main functions: (1) Throttling effect: High-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant passes through the throttling orifice of the expansion valve, becoming low-temperature, low-pressure mist-like hydraulic refrigerant, creating conditions for refrigerant evaporation. (2) Controlling refrigerant flow: The expansion valve regulates the refrigerant flow to ensure the evaporator outlet contains only gaseous refrigerant. If the flow is too high, the outlet may contain liquid refrigerant, leading to liquid slugging in the compressor. If the refrigerant flow is too low, it may evaporate prematurely, resulting in insufficient cooling. 2. Types of thermal expansion valves: Thermal expansion valves are categorized into internally balanced and externally balanced types based on their balancing methods. Externally balanced thermal expansion valves are further divided into F-type and H-type structural configurations.
