Wollo University Kombolcha Institute of Technology

School of Chemical and Mechanical Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Stream of Thermal Engineering
Program – Post Graduate

Presentation on:
‘‘Types of throttling devices used in Refrigeration and AC.’’

By: Esskindir Demeke (SGSR/0337/13)

To: Venkata Satyanarayana (Prof.)
 Introduction

Throttling devise is vital part of all the refrigeration systems and air conditioning systems apart
from the compressor, condenser and the evaporator. The refrigerant leaves the compressor at
high pressure and temperature and enters the condenser. After leaving the condenser the
refrigerant is at medium temperature and high pressure and then it enters the throttling valve.
In the throttling valve the pressure and the temperature of the refrigerant is reduced drastically
and suddenly. Thus, the throttling is valve where the temperature of the refrigerant is reduced
and it is then able to produce the cooling effect in the evaporator of the refrigerator or the
cooling coil of the air conditioner. The throttling valve also controls the amount of the
refrigerant that should enter into the evaporator depending on the refrigeration load.

How Throttling Devices Work?

The throttling device can be the valve or the copper tubing that allows the flow of the refrigerant
through very small opening also called as the orifice. The throttling devices allow restricted
flow of the refrigerant. The throttling devices are also called as the expansion valves because
when the refrigerant passes through them the pressure of the refrigerant drops down or it
expands.

When the refrigerant passes through the orifice its pressure reduces due to friction and also the
small opening of the orifice. The amount of the refrigerant flowing through the throttling valve
depends on the amount of opening of the orifice. It also depends on the difference of pressure
across two sides of the throttling devise that condenser and the evaporator.

In case of the automatic throttling valve the amount of the opening of the orifice is controlled
by the pressure or the temperature in the evaporator. In case of the large refrigeration systems
the opening of the orifice is controlled by the level of liquid refrigerant in the condenser or the
evaporator. If the throttling valve has fix opening like in capillary tube, the amount of
refrigerant flowing through it depends on the pressure towards the inlet side of the throttling
valve (condenser pressure) and the outlet side of the throttling valve (evaporator pressure).

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Generally, the expansion devices perform the following functions:

1. Reducing pressure from high pressure side before being introduced to the
evaporator.
2. Maintaining desired pressure difference, so the refrigerant will vaporise as
designed pressure in the evaporator.
3. Controls flow of the refrigerant as per the load enquired by the evaporator.

Types of Expansion devices in refrigeration and AC

1) Capillary tube,
2) Constant pressure or automatic throttling valve,
3) Thermostatic expansion valve,
4) Float valve,

5) Hand-operated expansion valve.

1. Capillary Tubes

Capillary tube is one of the most commonly used throttling devices in the refrigeration and the
air conditioning systems. The capillary tube is a copper tube of very small internal diameter. It
is of very long length and it is coiled to several turns so that it would occupy less space. The
internal diameter of the capillary tube used for the refrigeration and air conditioning
applications varies from 0.5 to 2.28 mm (0.020 to 0.09 inches) and the length varies from 0.5
m to 5 m. Capillary tube used as the throttling device in the domestic refrigerators, deep
freezers, water coolers and air conditioners.

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How it works?

When the refrigerant leaves the condenser and enters the

capillary tube its pressure drops down suddenly due to very small
diameter of the capillary. In capillary the fall in pressure of the
refrigerant takes place not due to the orifice but due to the small
opening of the capillary.

Fig 1. Capillary tube

The decrease in pressure of the refrigerant through the capillary depends on the diameter of the
capillary and the length of the capillary. Smaller is the diameter and more is the length of the
capillary more is the drop in pressure of the refrigerant as it passes through it.

The capillary tube is non-adjustable device that means one cannot control the flow of the
refrigerant through it as one can do in the automatic throttling valve.

Advantages of Using capillary tubes

✓ The capillary tube is a very simple device that can be manufactured easily and it is not
very costly.
✓ The capillary tube limits the maximum amount of the refrigerant that can be charged in
the refrigeration system due to which the receiver is not required in these systems.
✓ When the refrigeration plant stops the pressure across the capillary tube becomes same
and also along the whole refrigeration cycle the pressure is constant. This means that
when the plant is stopped the pressure at the suction and discharge side of the
compressor are same. Thus, when the compressor is restarted there is not much load on
it since it does not have to overcome very high pressures. Due to this the compressor
motor of smaller torque can be selected for driving the compressor, thus reducing the
cost of the compressor. This along with the above two advantages help reducing the
overall cost of the refrigeration and the air conditioning systems.

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 2. Constant pressure or Automatic throttling valves

The constant pressure expansion valve keeps the

pressure inside the evaporator constant, hence the
name. The constant pressure valve maintains constant
pressure inside the evaporator no matter what the load
inside the evaporator is. It does not allow the control of
the flow of the refrigerant through it even when lesser
or more refrigerant is required in the evaporator since
the primary function of the constant pressure valve is
to maintain constant pressure inside the evaporator.

Fig 2. Constant pressure throttling valve

The constructional details of the constant pressure expansion valve are shown in the figure
above. It comprises of the metallic body inside which is the metallic diaphragm or bellow. On
the upper side of the diaphragm is the spring which is under pressure and its pressure is
controlled by the adjusting screw.

Below the diaphragm there is thin plate or seat that has the small opening. The opening in the
seat is controlled by the needle or stem connected to the diaphragm. As the diaphragm moves
down the needle also moves down thus opening the valve. The seat and the needle form the
orifice for the constant pressure valve.

There are also two opening in the valve. From one side the refrigerant from the condenser
enters the constant pressure expansion valve and from the other side the refrigerant leaves the
valve to enter the evaporator.

How it works?

The spring above the diaphragm is under compression thus the spring pressure along with the
atmospheric pressure acts on the diaphragm. Due to the pressure the diaphragm tends to move
down due to which the needle also tends to move down away from the seat leading to the
opening of the valve.

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Below the diaphragm there is refrigerant at the evaporator pressure thus the evaporator pressure
tends to move the diaphragm in the upward direction. Due to this the needle tends to move in
the upward direction towards the seat to close the valve.

Thus, the spring pressure and the evaporator pressure act against each other and whichever is
greater would determine the position of the needle and the opening of the orifice of the valve.
In the normal running condition of the plant the valve maintains equilibrium between the
evaporator pressure and the spring pressure and maintains certain opening of the valve to allow
the flow of refrigerant through it.

The tension of the spring can be adjusted as per the requirements by the adjusting screw. The
constant pressure expansion valve maintains the pressure inside the evaporator constant and
automatically as per the setting of the spring pressure. This means that the evaporator pressure
can be varied by changing the position of the spring.

When the refrigeration plant with the constant pressure valve is stopped, certain amount of the
refrigerant remains inside the evaporator and create pressure inside the evaporator. This
pressure acts against the diaphragm and keeps the valve closed. When the refrigeration plant is
started again, the evaporator pressure reduces and the constant pressure expansion valve opens
again.

Some Limitations

✓ The constant pressure expansion valve does not allow the control of the flow of the
refrigerant through it which is very important for the efficient operation of the
refrigeration plant.
✓ Sometimes the load on the compressor is very less in such cases the liquid refrigerant
floods to the compressor. This can be very dangerous as the piston and cylinder of the

compressor may break due to compression of the liquid.

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 3. Thermostatic Expansion Valves (TEV)

Thermostatic expansion valve or TEV is one of the most commonly used throttling devices in
the refrigerator and air conditioning systems. The thermostatic expansion valve is the automatic
valve that maintains proper flow of the refrigerant in the evaporator as per the load inside the
evaporator. If the load inside the evaporator is higher it allows the increase in flow of the
refrigerant and when the load reduces it allows the reduction in the flow of the refrigerant. This
leads to highly efficient working of the compressor and the whole refrigeration and the air
conditioning plant.

The thermostatic expansion valve also prevents the flooding of the refrigerant to the
compressor ensuring that the plant would run safely without any risk of breakage of the
compressor due to compression of the liquid. The thermostatic expansion valve does not
control the temperature inside the evaporator and it does not vary the temperature inside the
evaporator as its name may suggest.

While the capillary tube is used in the small domestic systems, the thermostatic expansion
valve is used in the systems of higher capacities. It is commonly used in the industrial
refrigeration plants, high-capacity split air conditioners, packaged air conditioners, central air
conditioners and many other systems.

Fig 3. A) Thermostatic expansion valve B) Components of TEV

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Functions:

✓ Reduce the pressure of the refrigerant: In the condenser the refrigerant is at very
high pressure. The thermostatic expansion valve has a constriction or orifice due to
which the pressure of the refrigerant passing through it drops down suddenly to the
level of the evaporator pressure. Due this the temperature of the refrigerant also drops
down suddenly and it produces cooling effect inside the evaporator.
✓ Keep the evaporator active: The thermostatic expansion valve allows the flow of the
refrigerant as per the cooling load inside it. At higher load the flow of the refrigerant is
increased and at the lower loads the flow is reduced. It won’t happen that the load on
the evaporator is high and the flow of the refrigerant is low thereby reducing the
capacity of the evaporator. The thermostatic expansion valve allows the evaporator to
run as per the requirements and there won’t be any wastage of the capacity of the
evaporator. The TEV constantly modulates the flow to maintain the superheat for which
it has been adjusted.

✓ Allow the flow of the refrigerant as per the requirements: This is another important

function of the thermostatic expansion valve. It allows the flow of the refrigerant to the
evaporator as per the load on it. This prevents the flooding of the liquid refrigerant to
the compressor and efficient working of the evaporator and the compressor and the
whole refrigeration plant.

Advantages of TEV

As it is obvious from the above discussion the advantages of the thermostatic expansion valve
are:

✓ The TEV maintains the flow of the refrigerant to the evaporator as per the
load inside. Thus, the refrigeration or the air conditioning plant can run to
the optimum capacity as per the requirements.
✓ The TEV keeps the evaporator fully active and helps getting the optimum
cooling effect from it.
✓ Since the entire refrigerant in the evaporator gets vaporized the chances of
the liquid refrigerant particles going to the compressor are reduced. This
reduces the chances of the breakdown of the compressor due to compression
of the liquid.

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 ✓ The compressor can also work at the optimum capacity as per the
refrigeration load on the system. If the load is lesser it has to compress
refrigerant and work on lesser capacity thus absorbing lesser electric power.
If the load is higher it can work at higher capacities.

There are two types of thermostatic expansion valves:

✓ Internally equalized thermostatic expansion valves, and

✓ Externally equalized thermostatic expansion valves.
4. Float Valves

Float valve is used as the throttling device in the large industrial refrigeration plants that fulfil
the cooling requirements of the entire process. There are two types of float valves as discussed
below:

I. The low side float type

This throttling valve is usually used in the flooded type of the refrigeration plants. In industrial
refrigeration plants the evaporators are of shell and tube type. In the plants with medium
capacity the refrigerant is filled in the tube side and the substance to be chilled is filled in shell
side such as in the water chilling plants.

But when very low temperature is required for large quantity of the substance the refrigerant is
filled in the shell side and the substance to be chilled is on tube side. Such types of evaporators
are called as the flooded evaporators.

The float valve maintains the constant level of the liquid in the flooded evaporator irrespective
of the pressure and the temperature inside it. The float of the low side float valve is placed in
the evaporator, which is at low pressure. The construction and the working of the low side
refrigeration float valve are similar to the float valve used in the water tank used for maintaining
the level of the liquid. In the water tank the float keeps floating inside on the water and its arm
is connected to the water connection. When the level of the water drops down the arm of the
float valve moves to open the water connection and allows the flow of the water to the tank.
When the tank gets filled the float rises up and the arm closes the water connection. The float
valve in the refrigeration plant also works in a similar manner.

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The valve assembly of the low side float valve comprises of the hollow ball, a float arm, needle
valve and the seat (refer the images below). The valve seat and the needle form the orifice
opening of the valve that provides the throttling effect to the refrigerant passing through it and
through which the regulated amount of the refrigerant can pass. The valve seat and the needle
are located inside the chamber of the float valve which is connected to the evaporator.

Fig 4. Low side float valve

The hollow ball or float floats on the refrigerant inside the evaporator moves up and down as
per the level of the liquid. The hollow ball is connected to the needle and valve seat via the
float arm. Thus, as the ball moves up and down the float arm also moves that allows for the
opening or the closing of the orifice.

When the level of the refrigerant drops inside the evaporator due to high refrigeration load the
float moves down, this allows for the opening of the orifice of the valve increasing the flow of
the refrigerant. When the sufficient amount of refrigerant enters the evaporator the level of the
float rises due to which moves the float valve closes. The movement of the float and the opening
of the float valve is in accordance to the refrigeration load on the evaporator.

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II. High side float valve

While in the low side float valve the float chamber is placed in the evaporator on low pressure
side, in the high-pressure side float valve and the float chamber is placed on the high-pressure
side between the condenser and the evaporator. In low side float valve the valve opens as the
level of the refrigerant drops in the evaporator, but in high side float valve the valve opens
when the level of the refrigerant increases in the chamber.

The refrigerant condensed in the condenser moves to the chamber of the high-pressure float
valve. As the level of the refrigerant rises the float ball moves up and opens the float valve that
allows for the passage of the refrigerant through needle valve. The level of the refrigerant would
rise in float chamber when more refrigerant is coming from the condenser that means there is
more load on the plant. Thus, when there is higher load on the plant there is increase in the
flow of the refrigerant through the float valve (refer the image below).

Fig 5. High side float valve

The level of the refrigerant coming from the condenser reduces when there is less load on the
plant. When the level of the refrigerant drops down the orifice of the needle valve closes, thus
reducing the flow of the refrigerant through it. The high side float valves are usually used with
the centrifugal refrigeration plants.

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 5. Hand-operated expansion valve

It is the most common type expansion valve but it requires an operator to regulate the flow of
the refrigerant to the evaporator manually. The connical-needle extends down into the valve
port and restricts the flow area through the port. When closed, the valve rests on its conical
seat. This valve used limittedly commonly on systems operating on nearly constant loads for
long periods of time, such as ice making plants and cold storages. Not suitable integrating it
with varying load conditions, and compressors running intermittently to maintain a constant
temperature.

Fig 6. Hand operated expansion valves

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 References

1. https://www.brighthubengineering.com
2. A text book of refrigeration and air conditioning RS Khurmi, Joyeeta

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