Expansion Devices

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 Expansion Devices

• Thermal expansion devices are a component in refrigeration

and air conditioning that controls the amount of refrigerant
flowing into the evaporator.
• By controlling the refrigerant flow, the superheating at the outlet
of the evaporator can be controlled.
 Purpose of Expansion Devices

• It must reduce the pressure of liquid refrigerants

• It must regulate the flow of refrigerant to the evaporator
• It must control the capacity of the refrigeration system
 Types of Expansion Devices

• Capillary Tube
• Superheated Controlled Expansion Valves
• Float Valves
• Constant Pressure
• Electric Expansion Valve
 Capillary Tube
• Used in most small refrigeration system
• Extends up to refrigerating capacity of 10kW
 Capillary Tube
• A capillary tube is 1 to 6 meter long with an inside diameter
generally from 0.5 to 2 millimetre. Liquid refrigerant enters the
capillary tube, and flows through it.
• The pressure drops because of the friction and acceleration of
the refrigerant.
• Some of the liquid flashes into vapor as the refrigerant flows
through the tube.
 Superheated Controlled Expansion Valve

• Also known as thermostatic expansion valve

• For moderate sized refrigeration systems
• It regulates the rate of flow of liquid or fluid refrigerants in a
proportion to the rate of evaporation in the evaporator
 Float Valve
• Maintains the liquid of a constant level in a vessel or an
evaporator
• A float switch opens completely when the liquid level drops
below control point
• The float switch will close completely when the level reach the
control point that will give the same net performance as the
modelling type of float control
Float Valves
 Electric Expansion Valve
• Uses a thermistor to sense the presence of liquid in the outlet
stream of evaporator
• When no liquid is present, the thermistor temperature
increases, resulting to resistance drop and permits a greater
current flow through the heater and valve, therefore opening the
valve.
• Opened valve results to increase refrigerant flow rate.
• One application is heat pumps, where flow rate of reorients is
reversed in order to change from heating to cooling.
Electric Expansion Valve