What is the thermal expansion valve?
Thermal expansion valve is usually a mechanical device in the air -conditioning or cooling system that regulates refrigerant pressures. Within these systems, the thermal expansion valves can be considered as a measuring device that also monitor and control the amount of refrigerant used by the cooling system at any time. As the temperature changes inside the space, it is also the amount of refrigerant necessary to maintain the desired temperature. The thermal expansion valve controls variable levels of refrigerant. This action controls the cooling process by pulling heat from this space to change the refrigerant phase from the liquid to the gas and back to the liquid. The thermal expansion valve is usually a point in a cooling system in which the liquid is released to become gas and start the cooling process.
This part of the process usually depends on the temperature of the internal components throughout the cooling system. A typical thermal expansion valve contains a component called a thermal bulb. This chamber is filled with a small amount of refrigerant liquid that is insulatedand from air temperatures and connected directly to the coil system that the refrigerant passes, is usually called a evaporator. When temperature changes occur, the thermal bulb is affected by these changes through its connection to the thermal expansion valve and the rest of the cooling system.
When the temperature changes across the system, especially within the evaporator, this indicates a change in the temperature for space cooling. The material in the thermal bulb must be expanded and closed together with the temperature change, as the thermal bulb maintains a consistent size despite the temperature changes. Higher temperatures in the cooling system force liquid and gas inside the thermal bulb to expand. These expansion forces open the valve, allowing more refrigerant to pass into the evaporator. On the other hand, the lower temperature makes liquid in the thermal bulb contract that closes the valve and allows less refrigerant to pass.
Installation of thermal expansionThe valve is usually considered an integral part of cooling and air conditioning systems. Many cooling systems integrate at least one thermal expansion valve because they are considered quite accurate and consistent in their functionality. Systems that do not use the thermal expansion valve are often considered inaccurate or inconsistent.