Capacity Control Valve With Slide Valve for Start-Up Discharge

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing capacity control valves for variable displacement compressors in air conditioning systems suffer from reduced operating efficiency due to increased refrigerant circulation through auxiliary communication passages during continuous operation, which affects the fluid discharge function, especially at start-up.

Innovation Solution

A capacity control valve design featuring a slide valve body that partitions the pressure sensitive chamber into Pd and Pc spaces, allowing controlled fluid flow through Pd-Pc flow passages and utilizing differential pressure to prevent refrigerant flow into the suction port, enhancing discharge efficiency and responsiveness at start-up.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If an auxiliary communication passage is formed to provide communication between control port and suction port, then the responsiveness of the variable displacement compressor is improved at start-up, but the operating efficiency decreases during continuous operation due to increased refrigerant circulation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveresponsiveness at start-upVSAvoidoperating efficiency during continuous operation
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a slide valve body that dynamically transitions between two positions: at start-up, it opens the auxiliary communication passage to rapidly discharge refrigerant from the control chamber to the suction chamber, improving responsiveness; during continuous operation, it closes the passage to prevent unnecessary refrigerant circulation and maintain operating efficiency. This dynamic switching mechanism resolves the contradiction between start-up responsiveness and continuous operation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The slide valve body utilizes the pressure differential that naturally occurs during start-up (when control chamber pressure is high) to automatically open the auxiliary communication passage without external control. During normal operation, the reversed pressure differential automatically closes the passage. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for additional control components while achieving both start-up responsiveness and continuous operation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The design improves operating efficiency and responsiveness of the variable displacement compressor by minimizing refrigerant circulation to the suction chamber, ensuring reliable fluid discharge and maintaining optimal operating conditions during both continuous operation and start-up.

Implementation Method 1

a valve body driven by a solenoid

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic force: Electromagnet

Implementation Method 2

the fluid of high pressure flows from the outside of the capacity control valve into the Pc side space of the pressure sensitive chamber through the control port to generate a differential pressure between the Pd side space and the Pc side space

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectDifferential pressure: Pressure Gradient

Data Source

PatentEP4160016B1Capacity control valve
Publication Date: 2025.06.25 EAGLE INDS
  • EP4160016B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4160016B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4160016B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

There is provided a capacity control valve having a fluid discharge function at a start-up and having good operating efficiency. A capacity control valve V1 includes a valve housing 10; a main valve 50 including a valve body 51 driven by a solenoid 80, and a main valve seat 10a which is provided between a discharge port 12 and a control port 14 and with which the valve body 51 is allowed to come into contact; and a pressure sensitive valve member 52 forming a pressure sensitive valve 53, together with a pressure sensitive body 60 disposed in a pressure sensitive chamber 40. The control port 14 and a suction port 13 are allowed to communicate with each other through an intermediate communication passage 55 by opening the pressure sensitive valve 53. A slide valve body 90 slides relative to the pressure sensitive valve member 52 to open and close a through-hole 52d communicating with the intermediate communication passage 55. The slide valve body 90 partitions the pressure sensitive chamber 40 into a Pd side space S1 and a Pc side space S2, and a Pd-Pc flow passage 90b providing communication between two spaces S1 and S2 is formed in the slide valve body 90.