METERING DEVICES

The metering device is the section of the refrigerator that separates the high and low pressures.
Its function is to hold one side of the refrigerator at a high pressure, while allowing just enough
refrigerant to pass through to the low pressure side to do its job in the evaporator.

Metering devices, such as expansion valves and float valves, control the flow of liquid
refrigerant between the high side and the low side of the system. It is at the end of the line
between the condenser and the evaporator. These devices are: an automatic expansion valve
(A.E.V) (also known as a constant-pressure expansion valve), hand expansion valve (H.E.V), a
thermostatic expansion valve (T.E.V), low-side and high-side float valves, and a capillary tube.

There may be several different forces that operate the control, such as temperature, pressure
and/or a combination of both.

The reasons why the flow of the refrigerant into the evaporator is so important are;

i. For the evaporator to operate as is was designed, the flow control device (metering
device) must feed the correct amount of refrigerant into it. The refrigerant is usually
fed in a swirling pattern so that it will scrub the inside walls of the evaporator tubes.
When either too little or too much refrigerant is allowed into the evaporator, the
efficiency will drop. The best heat transfer is obtained when the inside of the
evaporator tubes are completely wetted with the refrigerant, except in the very end of
the evaporator which is used to add superheat to the refrigerant before it enters the
suction line to the compressor.
ii. All the liquid refrigerant must be evaporated inside the evaporator; if not, it could
possibly return to the compressor, causing damage from liquid flood-back. Liquid
flood-back can cause damage to the compressor valves and bearings rendering the
compressor inoperative and perhaps ruined beyond repair.

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METERING DEVICES

Types of Metering Devices

Capillary Tube.

The Capillary tube is a fixed metering device which acts as a restricting device and cannot be
altered to effect performance from the evaporator. It is used in both residential and commercial
systems and commonly used on domestic refrigeration.

Made from thin copper tubing its length and internal dimension cause liquid to back up creating
a high pressure side, while dropping to a low pressure side at its outlet.

The capillary tube consists of a long tube of small diameter. It acts as a constant throttle on the
refrigerant. The length and diameter of the tube are important; any restrictions cause trouble in
the system. It feeds refrigerant to the evaporator as fast as it is produced by the condenser. When
the quantity of refrigerant in the system is correct or the charge is balanced, the flow of
refrigerant from the condenser to the evaporator stops when the compressor unit stops. When the
condensing unit is running, the operating characteristics of the capillary tube equipped
evaporator are the same as if it were equipped with a high-side float.

To compare in very simple terms a capillary act similar to a drinking straw, if you pinch the
straw while trying to blow in it, it gets harder and builds up a lot of pressure.

They hold back the refrigerant until the discharge pressure has built up enough to force the liquid
refrigerant into the evaporator. Because the opening in the cap-tube is fixed, the rate of flow also
cannot be varied to a great extent. During conditions when the load and the discharge pressure do
not vary, cap-tubes perform very well. However, when the discharge pressure or the load varies
considerably, the cap-tube will either underfeed or overfeed the evaporator.

During the off cycle, the pressure in the high side is gradually bled over into the low side of the
system. Under these conditions, when the compressor next starts, it will start unloaded allowing
the use of a low staring torque motor.

They must be used on extremely clean systems; otherwise the small diameter tube may become
blocked, stopping the refrigeration process. Usually a filter drier/strainer is installed just before
the cap-tube to prevent foreign matter from blocking it. Should it become blocked, the
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METERING DEVICES

evaporator will defrost, the unit will not normally stop running, and the thermal overload may
stop the compressor. Usually the discharge pressure will become very high, causing the motor to
overload.

A problem with cap-tube systems is the adjusting of the amount of charge required for proper
operation for the ambient temperature at the charging time. Cap-tubes use a critical charge of
refrigerant because there is no receiver in which to store any excess. An overcharge will cause
high discharge pressures, compressor motor overloading, and possible flood-back to the
compressor during off-cycle. An undercharge will allow refrigerant vapour to enter the cap-tube,
resulting in a reduction in refrigeration capacity.

The capillary tube is best suited for household boxes, such as freezers and window air-
conditioners, where the refrigeration load is reasonably constant and small horsepower motors
are used.

Effects of having a too short cap-tube with too large a bore

 This will flood the evaporator with liquid refrigerant since there will be little or no
restriction to the refrigerant
 Also leads to compressor flooding with liquid refrigerant leading to foaming of oil, poor
lubrication, valve damage and reduction of refrigeration effect.
 Leads to blow-by where the suction and discharge pressures will be equal due to
damaged valves caused by compressor flooding.

Effects of having a too long cap-tube with too small a bore

 This will starve the evaporator of liquid refrigerant

 It results in pressure drop in the suction line
 The compressor will overwork due to continuous running failing to achieve desired
temperatures
 High temperatures in the cabinet leading to food/product spoilage

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METERING DEVICES

Hand Expansion Valve (H.E.V)

Consist of a shaft and a screw which moves up and down to alter the size of the orifice so as to
control the flow of the refrigerant. It can only be used on large refrigeration systems where there
is an operator to look after the plant at all times.

Thermostatic Expansion Valve. (T.E.V)

There are two main types of thermal expansion valves: internally or externally equalized. The
difference between externally and internally equalized valves is how the evaporator pressure
affects the position of the needle. In internally equalized valves, the evaporator pressure against
the diaphragm is the pressure at the inlet of the evaporator, whereas in externally equalized
valves, the evaporator pressure against the diaphragm is the pressure at the outlet of the
evaporator. Externally equalized thermostatic expansion valves compensate for any pressure
drop through the evaporator.

Internally equalized valves can be used on single circuit evaporator coils having low pressure
drop. Externally equalized valves must be used on multi-circuited evaporators with refrigerant
distributors. Externally equalized TEVs can be used on all applications; however, an externally
equalized TEV cannot be replaced with an internally equalized TEV.

SUPERHEAT. A vapour or gas is superheated when its temperature is higher than the boiling
point corresponding to its pressure. When the boiling point begins, both the liquid and the vapour
are at the same temperature. But in an evaporator, as the gas vapor moves along the coils toward
the suction line, the gas may absorb additional heat and its temperature rises. The difference in
degrees between the saturation temperature and the increased temperature of the gas is called
superheat.

A thermostatic expansion valve (fig. 6-22.A) keeps a constant superheat in the refrigerant vapour
leaving the coil. The valve controls the liquid refrigerant, so the evaporator coils maintain the
correct amount of refrigerant at all times. The valve has a power element that is activated by a
remote bulb located at the end of the evaporator coils. The bulb senses the superheat at the
suction line and adjusts the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator. As the superheat increases

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(suction line), the temperature, and therefore the pressure, in the remote bulb also increases. This
increased pressure, applied to the top of the diaphragm, forces it down along with the pin, which,
in turn, opens the valve, admitting replacement refrigerant from the receiver to flow into the
evaporator. (This replacement has three effects. First, it provides additional liquid refrigerant to
absorb heat from the evaporator. Second, it applies higher pressure to the bottom of the
diaphragm, forcing it upward, tending to close the valve. And third, it reduces the degree of
superheat by forcing more refrigerant through the suction line.)

This force is opposed by the evaporator pressure on the underside of the diaphragm, which tends
to close the valve. This closing force is assisted by the superheating spring. As the refrigerant
inside the evaporator becomes superheated, a pressure is created in the remote bulb assembly
that is greater than the combined pressure created by the refrigerant in the evaporator and the
superheated adjustment spring. This increase in pressure causes the valve pin to open further.
When the temperature of the refrigerant vapour leaving the evaporator drops, the pressure in the
remote bulb also decreases dropping below the combined pressure of the evaporator and the
superheat adjustment spring causing the valve pin to partially close the valve.

Adjustment

The superheat setting is set at the factory before shipment of the valve, for most installations this
setting will not need to be changed. However, they can be adjusted to provide fine tuning or to
meet the requirements of unusual applications.

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METERING DEVICES

The Automatic Expansion Valve (AEV)

The automatic expansion valve (AEV) (fig. 6-22.B) is similar in construction and appearance to
the commonly used thermostatic expansion valve (TEV). However, the metering devices operate
much differently.

The AEV is a constant pressure regulator. It is designed and constructed to maintain a constant
evaporating pressure. Normally this valve is used only with direct expansion dry type of
evaporators. It is generally used in a system where constant loads are expected. When a large
variable load occurs, the valve will not feed enough refrigerant to the evaporator under high load
and will overfeed the evaporator at low load. The flow of the refrigerant into the evaporator is
based on the pressure of the refrigerant in the evaporator. As the pressure in the evaporator
decreases, the valve opens and allows more refrigerant to flow through it. As the pressure
increases, the valve closes and allows less refrigerant to flow through it.
An AEV consists of a diaphragm, an adjustable spring, and a needle valve. The diaphragm
controls the operation of the needle valve. The adjustable spring is placed on top of the
diaphragm and acts to open the needle valve.

The opposing pressure that acts to close the needle valve is the pressure of the refrigerant in the
evaporator. As the pressure in the evaporator drops, the spring pressure overcomes the pressure
on the underside of the diaphragm and moves the needle valve to a more open position, allowing
more refrigerant into the evaporator.

As the refrigerant pressure increases in the evaporator, it imposes a higher pressure on the
underside of the diaphragm, which overcomes the spring tension and moves the needle valve to a
more closed position, reducing the flow of refrigerant into the evaporator. The pressure applied
by the spring can be adjusted to allow for different maximum evaporating pressures. Normally,
an adjustment screw on top of the valve body is connected to the spring inside the dome of the
valve.

Adjustment

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METERING DEVICES

A.E.Vs are adjusted manually. Turning the adjustment screw either increases or decreases the
tension on the control spring, which changes the valve opening pressure. The valve may be
adjusted to open at any predetermined pressure within the range of the control spring. The
operating pressure point of the valve will be just a few pounds below the operating point. The
exact pressure is determined by the compressor pumping capacity. When a low side gauge is
connected to the system the opening point is the pressure registered on the gauge.

When an A.E.V has been replaced, or on a new system, the unit should be allowed to operate for
about 24 hours before making any adjustments. This is to allow the refrigerant and oil to be
properly distributed and the system to reach its normal operating temperatures. Do not turn the
adjusting stem more than ¼ turn at one time. Wait about 15 minutes to let the valve settle out
before making another adjustment. Be sure to keep the unit running continuously when checking
the expansion valve setting.

Low-Side Float Expansion Valve.

The low-side float expansion valve (fig. 6-23) controls the liquid refrigerant flow where a
flooded evaporator is used. It consists of a ball float in either a chamber or the evaporator on the
low-pressure side of the system. The float actuates a needle valve through a lever mechanism. As
the float lowers, refrigerant enters through the open valve; when it rises, the valve closes. The
low side float helps to maintain a constant level of liquid refrigerant in the evaporator. It opens
when there is no liquid in the evaporator and closes when there is liquid in the evaporator.

High-Side Float Expansion Valve.

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METERING DEVICES

In a high-side float expansion valve (fig. 6-24), the valve float is in a liquid receiver or in an
auxiliary container on the high-pressure side of the system and maintains a constant level of
refrigerant in the condenser. When the compressor operates, refrigerant from the condenser flows
into the float chamber and the valve immediately opens, allowing refrigerant to expand and pass
into the evaporator. As the liquid level falls in the float chamber, the valve will close hence
preventing the liquid from flowing to the evaporator. Refrigerant charge is critical. An
overcharge of the system floods back and damages the compressor. An undercharge results in a
capacity drop.

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