Cycling in Climate Control Systems With Orifice Tube and Thermostatic Expansion Valve

摘要

Automotive climate control systems are typically equipped with either an orifice tube or a thermostatic expansion valve. The two devices behave differently especially during cycling operation. The variable restriction of the thermostatic expansion valve delays the refrigerant migration when the clutch is disengaged and allows a faster redistribution when the clutch is engaged. The effect of cycling on the performance of two climate control systems, one with a short-tube orifice, and the other with a thermostatic expansion device, was investigated. The cycle period was varied from 10 seconds to 6 minutes. The test results show the change in moisture removal rate, latent capacity, sensible capacity, energy consumption, and coefficient of performance due to cycling. It is shown that the penalty in energy consumption due to cycling depends on the cycle period.