Expansion valve
By incorporating a pressure-reducing component and a noise-reducing component into the expansion valve, the refrigerant first flows through the pressure-reducing component to buffer and slow down before flowing to the noise-reducing component. This solves the noise problem of the electronic expansion valve at a small opening, resulting in a significant reduction in noise.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHEJIANG DUNAN ARTIFICIAL ENVIRONMENT CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-23
AI Technical Summary
When the electronic expansion valve is at a small opening, the refrigerant flow rate is high and the kinetic energy is large, which causes the refrigerant to flush the silencer block and generate abnormal noise.
A pressure-reducing component and a noise-reducing component are installed in the expansion valve. The refrigerant first flows through the pressure-reducing component to buffer and slow down before flowing to the noise-reducing component. By setting up flow channels and buffer channels, two throttling and deceleration buffers are performed to reduce the kinetic energy of the refrigerant and reduce noise.
It effectively reduces the noise generated by refrigerant flushing the silencer components, reduces airflow noise, and improves the system's quietness performance.
Smart Images
Figure CN2026078815_23072026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Expansion valve
[0001] Related applications
[0002] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application filed on January 14, 2025, with application number 202520083974.4, entitled "Expansion Valve", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field
[0003] This application relates to the field of valve technology, and in particular to an expansion valve. Background Technology
[0004] An electronic expansion valve is a common throttling element. It is mainly used in refrigeration systems. By changing the valve opening, the flow and pressure of the refrigerant are controlled, thereby realizing the compression, cooling and evaporation cycle of the refrigerant.
[0005] During the operation of an electronic expansion valve, discontinuous large bubbles can easily form in the refrigerant after throttling at the valve orifice, generating noise. To reduce the noise of the electronic expansion valve, a porous silencing structure is usually installed in the flow path of the valve orifice. However, when the electronic expansion valve is at a small opening, the refrigerant flow velocity and kinetic energy are high after throttling at the valve orifice, and the high-speed refrigerant rushing against the silencing block can easily generate abnormal noise. Summary of the Invention
[0006] According to various embodiments of this application, an expansion valve is provided.
[0007] An expansion valve includes a valve body assembly, a pressure reducing assembly, and a silencing assembly. The valve body assembly has a valve port, a first side, and a second side. The valve port is located between the first side and the second side and is connected to both the first side and the second side. The pressure reducing assembly and the silencing assembly are both installed on the second side. The pressure reducing assembly is located between the valve port and the silencing assembly and has a flow channel connecting the valve port and the silencing assembly. The expansion valve has a first operating condition. When the expansion valve is in the first operating condition, the working medium flows from the first side to the valve port, and after being throttled by the valve port, flows sequentially through the flow channel and the silencing assembly.
[0008] In one embodiment, the pressure-reducing component is spaced apart from the valve port, and a first mixing chamber is provided between the pressure-reducing component and the valve port, the first mixing chamber connecting the valve port and the flow channel.
[0009] In one embodiment, the flow channel includes a first through flow channel that extends through the end face of the pressure-reducing component toward the first mixing chamber, and the flow cross-sectional area of the first through flow channel is smaller than the flow cross-sectional area of the first mixing chamber toward the end of the pressure-reducing component.
[0010] In one embodiment, the flow cross-sectional area of the first flow channel is S1, the flow cross-sectional area of the valve port is S2, and 0.9S2≤S1≤2S2.
[0011] In one embodiment, the first through-channel has an extension length of L1, the valve port has a diameter of D1, and 0.5D1≤L1≤6D1.
[0012] In one embodiment, the number of first through channels is configured to be one, and the first through channel is positioned directly opposite the valve port; or, the number of first through channels is configured to be multiple, and the multiple first through channels are distributed at intervals around the axis of the valve port.
[0013] The flow path also includes a buffer channel, which is located away from the valve port relative to the first flow path, and the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel is larger than that of the first flow path.
[0014] In one embodiment, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel is constant along the direction from the first through channel to the silencing component; or, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel tends to increase along the direction from the first through channel to the silencing component.
[0015] In one embodiment, the valve body assembly includes a main valve body, a first connecting pipe, and a second connecting pipe. The valve port is located in the main valve body. One end of the main valve body along its own axial direction is provided with a first interface section that connects to the valve port. The side wall of the main valve body is provided with a second interface section that connects to the valve port. The second connecting pipe is connected to the second interface section to form a first side, and the first connecting pipe is connected to the first interface section to form a second side. A pressure reducing component is disposed in the first interface section or the first connecting pipe, and a noise reduction component is disposed in the first interface section or the first connecting pipe.
[0016] In one embodiment, the silencing component is fixedly connected to the end of the first interface segment away from the valve port. The inner wall of the end of the first interface segment near the valve port is provided with a limiting surface, which faces the silencing component and is spaced apart from it. The pressure reducing component is sandwiched between the limiting surface and the silencing component along its own axial direction.
[0017] In one embodiment, the valve body assembly includes a main valve body, a first connecting pipe, and a second connecting pipe. The valve port is located in the main valve body. One end of the main valve body along its own axial direction is provided with a first interface section that connects to the valve port. The side wall of the main valve body is provided with a second interface section that connects to the valve port. The first connecting pipe is connected to the first interface section to form a first side, and the second connecting pipe is connected to the second interface section to form a second side. A pressure reducing component is disposed in the second interface section or the second connecting pipe, and a noise reduction component is disposed in the second interface section or the second connecting pipe.
[0018] In one embodiment, the noise reduction assembly includes at least one noise reduction block, and the noise reduction block is configured as a porous structure.
[0019] In one embodiment, the silencing assembly further includes a bracket, and at least one silencing block is mounted on the second side via the bracket.
[0020] In one embodiment, the silencing assembly includes a plurality of silencing blocks spaced apart along the flow direction of the working medium.
[0021] Details of one or more embodiments of this application are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of this application will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description
[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the conventional technology, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the conventional technology will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0023] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion valve in the first operating condition in Embodiment 1 provided in this application.
[0024] Figure 2 is an enlarged view of point A in Figure 1.
[0025] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the step-down component in one embodiment of this application.
[0026] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion valve in the second operating condition in Embodiment 1 provided in this application.
[0027] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the expansion valve in Embodiment 2 provided in this application.
[0028] Reference numerals: 100, Expansion valve; 10, Valve body assembly; 101, Valve port; 102, First side; 103, Second side; 11, Main valve body; 111, First interface section; 112, Second interface section; 12, First mixing chamber; 13, First connecting pipe; 131, Limiting surface; 14, Second connecting pipe; 20, Pressure reducing assembly; 21, Flow channel; 211, First through flow channel; 212, Buffer channel; 22, Contraction section; 30, Silencing assembly; 31, Support; 32, Silencing block; 40, Sleeve; 50, Valve needle assembly. Detailed Implementation
[0029] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.
[0030] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intermediate component. When a component is considered to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intermediate component present. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application's specification are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.
[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0032] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature and the second feature are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
[0034] Example 1
[0035] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, this application provides an expansion valve 100, which includes a valve body assembly 10, a pressure-reducing assembly 20, and a silencing assembly 30. The valve body assembly 10 has a valve port 101, a first side 102, and a second side 103. The valve port 101 is located between the first side 102 and the second side 103, and is connected to both the first side 102 and the second side 103. The pressure-reducing assembly 20 and the silencing assembly 30 are both located on the second side 103. The pressure-reducing assembly 20 is located between the valve port 101 and the silencing assembly 30, and has a flow channel 21 connecting the valve port 101 and the silencing assembly 30. The expansion valve 100 has a first operating condition, which is a heating mode. When the expansion valve 100 is in the first operating condition, the working medium flows from the first side 102 to the valve port 101, and after being throttled at the valve port 101, flows sequentially through the flow channel 21 and the silencing assembly 30. The working medium can be a refrigerant.
[0036] By configuring both the pressure-reducing component 20 and the silencing component 30 on the second side 103, with the pressure-reducing component 20 positioned between the valve port 101 and the silencing component 30 and having a flow channel 21 connecting the valve port 101 and the silencing component 30, when the expansion valve 100 is in its first operating condition, the high-speed refrigerant flowing through the valve port 101 will first flow through the flow channel 21 of the pressure-reducing component 20, instead of directly impacting the silencing component 30. The flow channel 21 increases the refrigerant's travel distance from the valve port 101 to the silencing component 30, allowing the refrigerant to be buffered and slowed down within the pressure-reducing component 20 before flowing to the silencing component 30. This helps reduce the kinetic energy of the refrigerant and the noise generated by the refrigerant impacting the silencing component 30, thereby effectively reducing airflow noise.
[0037] The expansion valve 100 also includes a sleeve 40. The valve body assembly 10 includes a main valve body 11, a first connecting pipe 13, and a second connecting pipe 14. The valve port 101 is located on the main valve body 11 or is separately disposed from and fixedly connected to the main valve body 11. The sleeve 40 is axially sleeved on one end of the main valve body 11. The end of the main valve body 11 axially away from the sleeve 40 is also provided with a first interface section 111 communicating with the valve port 101. The side wall of the main valve body 11 is provided with a second interface section 112 communicating with the valve port 101. The second connecting pipe 14 is connected to the second interface section 112 to form a first side 102. The first connecting pipe 13 is connected to the first interface section 111 to form a second side 103.
[0038] As shown in Figure 1, according to the connection direction of the expansion valve 100 and the needs of the system, when the expansion valve 100 is in the first operating condition, the refrigerant enters the main valve body 11 from the side along the second connecting pipe 14 and flows out of the main valve body 11 from the end along the first connecting pipe 13. That is, the refrigerant first flows through the valve port 101, and then flows through the pressure reducing assembly 20 and the silencing assembly 30. Thus, when the valve port 101 is at a small opening, the high-speed refrigerant flowing out of the valve port 101 is first buffered and slowed down by the pressure reducing assembly 20 before flowing to the silencing assembly 30, thereby reducing the noise generated by the refrigerant scouring the silencing assembly 30.
[0039] The voltage-reducing component 20 is disposed on the first interface segment 111. In some embodiments, the voltage-reducing component 20 is integrally disposed with the first interface segment 111 or is disposed separately. The voltage-reducing component 20 may also be disposed on the first connecting pipe 13. In some embodiments, the voltage-reducing component 20 is integrally disposed with the first connecting pipe 13 or is disposed separately. The silencing component 30 is disposed on the first interface segment 111. In some embodiments, the silencing component 30 is integrally disposed with the first interface segment 111 or is disposed separately. The silencing component 30 may also be disposed on the first connecting pipe 13. In some embodiments, the silencing component 30 is integrally disposed with the first connecting pipe 13 or is disposed separately. Of course, the voltage-reducing component 20 and the silencing component 30 may also be disposed at the connection point between the first interface segment 111 and the first connecting pipe 13. For example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the silencing component 30 is fixedly connected to the end of the first interface segment 111 away from the valve port 101. The inner wall of the end of the first interface segment 111 near the valve port 101 is provided with a limiting surface 131, and the limiting surface 131 faces the silencing component 30 and is spaced apart from the silencing component 30. The pressure reducing component 20 is sandwiched between the limiting surface 131 and the silencing component 30 along its own axial direction. The first connecting pipe 13 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the first interface segment 111.
[0040] This facilitates the assembly and fixing of the silencing component 30, the pressure-reducing component 20, and the first interface section 111. Specifically, when assembling the silencing component 30, the pressure-reducing component 20, and the first interface section 111, the pressure-reducing component 20 can be first installed into the first interface section 111 and abut against the limiting surface 131; then, the silencing component 30 can be installed into the first interface section 111 and abut against the pressure-reducing component 20; finally, the silencing component 30 can be fixedly connected to the first interface section 111. The silencing component 30 can be riveted or welded to the first interface section 111. Furthermore, the pressure-reducing component 20 has a contraction section 22 at one end near the valve port 101, and the outer diameter of the pressure-reducing component 20 decreases at the contraction section 22 to facilitate the installation of the contraction section 22 into the first interface section 111.
[0041] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pressure-reducing assembly 20 is spaced apart from the valve port 101, and a first mixing chamber 12 is provided between the pressure-reducing assembly 20 and the valve port 101. Specifically, the first mixing chamber 12 is formed between the end face of the pressure-reducing assembly 20, the end face of the valve port 101, and the wall surface of the second side 103. The first mixing chamber 12 connects the valve port 101 and the flow channel 21. By providing the first mixing chamber 12, the flow distance of the refrigerant from the valve port 101 to the silencer assembly 30 is further extended.
[0042] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the flow channel 21 includes a first through flow channel 211, which extends through the end face of the pressure-reducing assembly 20 toward the first mixing chamber 12. The flow cross-sectional area of the first through flow channel 211 is smaller than the flow cross-sectional area of the first mixing chamber 12 toward the end facing the pressure-reducing assembly 20. Thus, the refrigerant flowing out of the first mixing chamber 12 will be throttled when flowing through the first through flow channel 211.
[0043] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the flow channel 21 further includes a buffer channel 212, which is disposed away from the valve port 101 relative to the first flow channel 211, and the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel 212 is larger than the flow cross-sectional area of the first flow channel 211.
[0044] Thus, when the expansion valve 100 is in the first operating condition, the refrigerant, after being throttled by the valve port 101, will first flow into the first mixing chamber 12, then into the first through flow channel 211, then into the buffer channel 212, and finally into the silencer assembly 30. Furthermore, since the flow cross-sectional area of the first through flow channel 211 is smaller than the flow cross-sectional area of the first mixing chamber 12 facing the pressure-reducing assembly 20, and the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel 212 is larger than the flow cross-sectional area of the first through flow channel 211, the refrigerant undergoes a first throttling when flowing through the valve port 101, a first deceleration and buffering when flowing through the first mixing chamber 12, a second throttling when flowing through the first through flow channel 211, and a second deceleration and buffering when flowing through the buffer channel 212.
[0045] As the expansion valve closes from its large opening, the flow rate in the valve body decreases, increasing the subcooling of the refrigerant before it flows into valve port 101. The refrigerant is in a highly subcooled pure liquid state. After passing through valve port 101, the highly subcooled pure liquid refrigerant transforms into a high-speed gas-liquid two-phase state or a slightly subcooled pure liquid state. The higher the liquid phase ratio in the refrigerant, the easier it is for cavitation to occur when the refrigerant flows through the silencing component 30, thus generating noise. The higher the subcooling of the refrigerant before it flows into valve port 101, the higher the liquid phase ratio in the refrigerant after it flows out of valve port 101, and the easier it is for cavitation to occur. Cavitation refers to the formation of bubbles inside a liquid when the pressure drops below its saturated vapor pressure. These bubbles rapidly collapse when the pressure recovers, releasing enormous energy and creating high temperature, high pressure, and strong shock waves.
[0046] In this embodiment, the refrigerant, after being decelerated and buffered in the first mixing chamber 12, can undergo a second throttling through the first flow channel 211. When the valve port 101 is slightly open, if the refrigerant flowing out of the valve port 101 is in a gas-liquid two-phase state, the second throttling through the first flow channel 211 increases the proportion of gaseous refrigerant in the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant. If the refrigerant flowing out of the valve port 101 is in a slightly subcooled pure liquid state, the second throttling through the first flow channel 211 converts it into a gas-liquid two-phase state, thereby mitigating the cavitation phenomenon caused by the refrigerant scouring the silencing component 30 and reducing noise. Furthermore, after flowing out of the first flow channel 211, the refrigerant can be further depressurized and decelerated within the buffer channel 212. In other words, in this embodiment, when the expansion valve is in the first operating condition, the refrigerant undergoes two throttling processes and two deceleration buffering processes before contacting the silencing component 30, which significantly reduces the noise generated by the refrigerant scouring the silencing component 30.
[0047] Optionally, as shown in Figure 2, the number of first flow channels 211 is configured to be one, and one first flow channel 211 is arranged directly opposite the valve port 101. After the refrigerant is throttled by the valve port 101, it flows at high speed and has a turbulent phase. When it passes through the first mixing chamber 12, it is slowed down and buffered. Furthermore, since the flow cross-sectional area of the first flow channel 211 is smaller than the flow cross-sectional area of the first mixing chamber 12 facing the pressure reducing component 20, the end face of the pressure reducing component 20 near the valve port 101 can shield the refrigerant around the first flow channel 211. The refrigerant collides with the end face of the pressure reducing component 20 near the valve port 101, thereby reducing its kinetic energy. Then, the first flow channel 211 rectifies the turbulent refrigerant, and the turbulent refrigerant collides with each other, further reducing its kinetic energy and slowing it down.
[0048] Alternatively, the number of first through channels 211 can be configured to be multiple, with multiple first through channels 211 distributed at intervals around the axis of valve port 101.
[0049] The flow cross-sectional area of the first passageway 211 is S1, and the flow cross-sectional area of the valve port 101 is S2, where 0.9S2≤S1≤2S2. It is understandable that if S1 is too small, the refrigerant flow through the first passageway 211 will be too small; if S1 is too large, it will be difficult to effectively block and throttle the refrigerant. Therefore, setting 0.9S2≤S1≤2S2 ensures that the first passageway 211 has a throttling effect on the refrigerant while preventing the refrigerant flow through the first passageway 211 from being too small. For example, S1 could be 0.9S2, S1 = S2, S1 = 1.5S2, or S1 = 2S2.
[0050] As shown in Figure 2, the extension length of the first flow channel 211 is L1, and the diameter of the valve port 101 is D1, with 0.5D1≤L1≤6D1. It is understandable that, since the flow cross-sectional area of the first flow channel 211 is smaller than that of the buffer channel 212, when the outer diameter of the pressure-reducing component 20 is constant, the wall thickness at the location of the first flow channel 211 is greater than the wall thickness at the location of the buffer channel 212. Therefore, the structural strength at the location of the first flow channel 211 is greater than that at the location of the buffer channel 212. Thus, if L1 is too small, it will affect the structural strength of the pressure-reducing component 20; if L1 is too large, it will increase the processing difficulty of the first flow channel 211. Therefore, by setting 0.5D1≤L1≤6D1, the structural strength of the pressure-reducing component 20 is ensured while facilitating the processing of the first flow channel 211. For example, L1 could be 0.5D1, L1 = D1, L1 = 4D1, L1 = 4.5D1, L1 = 6D1, etc.
[0051] Alternatively, in one embodiment, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel 212 is constant along the direction from the first through channel 211 to the silencing component 30.
[0052] Alternatively, in another embodiment, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel 212 tends to increase along the direction from the first flow channel 211 to the silencing component 30. Specifically, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel 212 may increase uniformly along the direction from the first flow channel 211 to the silencing component 30, that is, the buffer channel 212 is small at one end near the first flow channel 211 and large at the other end away from the first flow channel 211, forming a trumpet shape.
[0053] The noise reduction assembly 30 includes at least one noise reduction block 32, which is configured as a porous structure.
[0054] Optionally, in one embodiment, the silencing block 32 is configured as a filter sintering block, and the number of silencing blocks 32 is configured to be multiple, with the multiple silencing blocks 32 distributed at intervals along the flow direction of the refrigerant. It should be noted that multiple silencing blocks 32 means that the number of silencing blocks 32 is two or more.
[0055] The noise reduction assembly 30 may also include a bracket 31, and the noise reduction block 32 is mounted on the second side 103 via the bracket. Specifically, the number of noise reduction blocks 32 can be configured to be two, with the two noise reduction blocks 32 respectively mounted on both ends of the bracket 31.
[0056] Further, as shown in Figure 4, the expansion valve 100 is a two-way valve and also has a second operating condition, which is a cooling mode. When the expansion valve 100 is in the second operating condition, the refrigerant enters the main valve body 11 from the end along the first connecting pipe 13 and flows out of the main valve body 11 from the side along the second connecting pipe 14. During the actual operation of the expansion valve 100, when the system has just started, or there is a shortage of refrigerant, or the system lacks an economizer or the outdoor unit heat exchanger area is insufficient, the refrigerant may experience insufficient subcooling before flowing through the valve port 101. That is, the refrigerant first flows through the silencer assembly 30 and the pressure reduction assembly 20, and then flows through the valve port 101. Thus, when the expansion valve 100 switches to the second operating condition, if the refrigerant entering the first connecting pipe 13 has insufficient subcooling before flowing through the valve port 101, the refrigerant contains a large amount of air bubbles. At this time, the refrigerant can first flow through the silencer assembly 30, and the porous structure in the silencer assembly 30 refines the air bubbles, thereby reducing noise.
[0057] As shown in Figure 1, the expansion valve 100 also includes a sleeve 40 and a valve needle assembly 50. The sleeve 40 is fixedly connected to the main valve body 11 and forms a working space with the main valve body 11. The valve needle assembly 50 is movably installed in the working space and can extend into the valve port 101 to adjust the opening size of the valve port 101.
[0058] Example 2
[0059] Referring to Figure 5, the expansion valve 100 includes a valve body assembly 10, a pressure reducing assembly 20, and a silencing assembly 30. The valve body assembly 10 has a valve port 101, a first side 102, and a second side 103. The expansion valve 100 also includes a sleeve 40. The valve body assembly 10 includes a main valve body 11, a first connecting pipe 13, and a second connecting pipe 14. The valve port 101 is located on the main valve body 11 or is separately disposed from and fixedly connected to the main valve body 11. The sleeve 40 is axially sleeved on one end of the main valve body 11. The end of the main valve body 11 axially away from the sleeve 40 is also provided with a first interface section 111 communicating with the valve port 101, and the side wall of the main valve body 11 is provided with a second interface section 112 communicating with the valve port 101.
[0060] This embodiment is similar to Embodiment 1, except that, according to the access direction of the expansion valve 100 and the needs of the system, the first connecting pipe 13 is connected to the first interface section 111 to form the first side 102, and the second connecting pipe 14 is connected to the second interface section 112 to form the second side 103. That is, in this embodiment, the pressure reducing component 20 and the silencing component 30 are located on the side of the main valve body 11.
[0061] When the expansion valve 100 is in the first operating condition, the refrigerant enters the main valve body 11 through the end of the first connecting pipe 13, and flows out of the main valve body 11 from the side through the second connecting pipe 14. That is, the refrigerant first flows through the valve port 101, and then flows through the pressure reducing assembly 20 and the silencing assembly 30. Thus, when the valve port 101 is at a small opening, the high-speed refrigerant flowing out of the valve port 101 is first buffered and slowed down by the pressure reducing assembly 20 before flowing to the silencing assembly 30, thereby reducing the noise generated by the refrigerant scouring the silencing assembly 30.
[0062] When the expansion valve 100 is in the second operating condition, the refrigerant enters the main valve body 11 from the side along the second connecting pipe 14 and flows out of the main valve body 11 from the end along the first connecting pipe 13. The refrigerant first flows through the silencing component 30 and the pressure reducing component 20, and then flows through the valve port 101. Thus, when the expansion valve 100 switches to the second operating condition, before the refrigerant flows through the valve port, if the refrigerant entering the first connecting pipe 13 has insufficient subcooling, the refrigerant contains a large amount of air bubbles. At this time, the refrigerant first flows through the silencing component 30, and the porous structure in the silencing component 30 refines the air bubbles, thereby reducing noise.
[0063] The voltage reduction component 20 is disposed on the second interface section 112, and can be integrated with or disposed separately from the second interface section 112. The voltage reduction component 20 can also be disposed on the second connecting pipe 14, and can be integrated with or disposed separately from the second connecting pipe 14. The noise reduction component 30 is disposed on the second interface section 112, and can be integrated with or disposed separately from the second interface section 112. The noise reduction component 30 can also be disposed on the second connecting pipe 14, and can be integrated with or disposed separately from the second connecting pipe 14. Alternatively, the voltage reduction component 20 and the noise reduction component 30 can be disposed at the connection point between the second connecting pipe 14 and the second interface section 112, respectively.
[0064] In summary, the expansion valve 100 provided in this application, when in its first operating condition, allows refrigerant to enter from the first side 102 and exit from the second side 103, specifically flowing sequentially through the valve port 101, the pressure-reducing component 20, and the silencing component 30. This solves the noise problem caused by the high subcooling of the refrigerant on the first side 102 before it flows through the valve port 101 when the expansion valve 100 is at a small opening. When the expansion valve 100 switches to its second operating condition, the refrigerant enters from the second side 103 and exits from the first side 102, specifically flowing sequentially through the silencing component 30, the pressure-reducing component 20, and the valve port 101. This solves the noise problem caused by insufficient subcooling of the refrigerant entering from the second side 103 before it flows through the valve port 101. The expansion valve 100 provided in this application includes, but is not limited to, an electronic expansion valve.
[0065] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0066] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the patent protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An expansion valve, characterized in that, The expansion valve includes a valve body assembly, a pressure reducing assembly, and a silencing assembly. The valve body assembly has a valve port, a first side, and a second side. The valve port is located between the first side and the second side and is connected to the first side and the second side, respectively. Both the pressure-reducing component and the silencing component are installed on the second side. The pressure-reducing component is located between the valve port and the silencing component, and a flow channel connecting the valve port and the silencing component is provided. The expansion valve has a first operating condition, and when the expansion valve is in the first operating condition, the working medium flows from the first side to the valve port, and after being throttled by the valve port, it flows sequentially through the flow channel and the silencer assembly.
2. The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein, The pressure-reducing component is spaced apart from the valve port, and a first mixing chamber is provided between the pressure-reducing component and the valve port, the first mixing chamber being connected to the valve port and the flow channel.
3. The expansion valve according to claim 2, wherein, The flow channel includes a first through flow channel, which extends through the end face of the pressure reducing component toward the first mixing chamber, and the flow cross-sectional area of the first through flow channel is smaller than the flow cross-sectional area of the first mixing chamber toward the end of the pressure reducing component.
4. The expansion valve according to claim 3, wherein, The first flow channel has a flow cross-sectional area of S1, and the valve port has a flow cross-sectional area of S2, where 0.9S2≤S1≤2S2.
5. The expansion valve according to claim 3, wherein, The first extension length of the flow channel is L1, the diameter of the valve port is D1, and 0.5D1≤L1≤6D1.
6. The expansion valve according to claim 3, wherein, The number of the first flow channels is configured to be one, and one of the first flow channels is arranged directly opposite the valve port; Alternatively, the number of the first flow channels may be configured to be multiple, and the multiple first flow channels may be distributed at intervals around the axis of the valve port.
7. The expansion valve according to claim 3, wherein, The flow channel further includes a buffer channel, which is located away from the valve port relative to the first flow channel, and the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel is larger than that of the first flow channel.
8. The expansion valve according to claim 7, wherein, Along the direction from the first through channel to the silencing component, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel is constant; Alternatively, along the direction from the first through channel to the silencing component, the flow cross-sectional area of the buffer channel tends to increase.
9. The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein, The valve body assembly includes a main valve body, a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe. The valve port is located in the main valve body. One end of the main valve body along its own axial direction is provided with a first interface section communicating with the valve port. The side wall of the main valve body is provided with a second interface section communicating with the valve port. The second connecting pipe is connected to the second interface section to form the first side. The first connecting pipe is connected to the first interface section to form the second side. The voltage reduction component is disposed within the first interface segment or the first connecting pipe, and the noise reduction component is disposed within the first interface segment or the first connecting pipe.
10. The expansion valve according to claim 9, wherein, The silencing component is fixedly connected to the end of the first interface segment away from the valve port. The inner wall of the end of the first interface segment near the valve port is provided with a limiting surface. The limiting surface faces the silencing component and is spaced apart from the silencing component. The pressure-reducing component is sandwiched between the limiting surface and the noise-reducing component along its own axial direction.
11. The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein, The valve body assembly includes a main valve body, a first connecting pipe and a second connecting pipe. The valve port is located in the main valve body. One end of the main valve body along its own axial direction is provided with a first interface section communicating with the valve port. The side wall of the main valve body is provided with a second interface section communicating with the valve port. The first connecting pipe is connected to the first interface section to form the first side, and the second connecting pipe is connected to the second interface section to form the second side. The voltage reduction component is disposed in the second interface section or the second connecting pipe, and the noise reduction component is disposed in the second interface section or the second connecting pipe.
12. The expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein, The noise reduction assembly includes at least one noise reduction block, and the noise reduction block is configured with a porous structure.
13. The expansion valve according to claim 12, wherein, The silencing assembly also includes a bracket, and at least one of the silencing blocks is mounted on the second side via the bracket.
14. The expansion valve according to claim 12, wherein, The silencing assembly includes multiple silencing blocks, which are spaced apart along the flow direction of the working medium.