Electronic Expansion Valve Calibration for Stable Refrigerant Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Variations in valve opening points of electronic expansion valves in air conditioners due to differences in stepper motor installation and valve member dimensions lead to unstable refrigerant flow rates, making it difficult to achieve accurate air conditioning control.
Innovation Solution
An electronic expansion valve with a stepper motor-controlled valve member, where the valve opening point is set based on a pulse number measured during manufacturing, and an identifier is provided to associate with characteristic data, allowing for precise control of refrigerant flow rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the valve opening point is measured during air conditioner operation, then the measurement can be performed in actual operating conditions, but the ambient temperatures of heat exchangers cannot be maintained constant, leading to inaccurate measurement
Solution Approach 1:
The valve opening point is measured during the manufacturing process under controlled conditions before the electronic expansion valve is installed in the air conditioner. This preliminary measurement ensures accurate determination of the valve opening point without the interference of varying ambient temperatures that occur during actual operation.
2Device complexity
If the same pulse control is applied to all electronic expansion valves, then the control system is simple and uniform, but the refrigerant flow rates vary due to different valve opening points
Solution Approach 1:
Each electronic expansion valve is assigned a specific valve opening point value determined during manufacturing. The control system uses this individualized characteristic to adjust the pulse control parameters for each valve, ensuring that despite variations in valve opening points, all valves achieve the desired refrigerant flow rates and maintain stable air conditioning performance.
3Productivity
If the valve opening point varies due to manufacturing differences, then mass production is efficient and cost-effective, but the performance of air conditioners becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The valve opening point is measured and recorded for each electronic expansion valve during manufacturing. This measured value is then used as feedback to adjust the control parameters in the air conditioner's control system, compensating for the variations in valve opening points and ensuring consistent performance across all products manufactured in mass production.
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
Ensures stable air conditioning control by accurately setting and controlling the valve opening point, reducing variations in refrigerant flow rates and improving the performance of air conditioners.
Implementation Method 1
a stepper motor 50, the stepper motor 50 moving the valve member 40 in correspondence with a pulse number input to the stepper motor 50
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic expansion valve is provided that allows an air conditioner to control air conditioning in accordance with a valve opening point of the electronic expansion valve. Also, an air conditioner is provided that is capable of controlling air conditioning on the basis of the valve opening point of the electronic expansion valve. The electronic expansion valve is provided with a barcode corresponding to property data of the electronic expansion valve. The property data include a pulse number corresponding to a valve opening point that was measured in the process of manufacturing the electronic expansion valve. The valve opening point is set on the basis of the pulse number of a stepper motor when the flow rate of a gas flowing through a valve hole of the electronic expansion valve is equal to a set value.