An expansion valve using a shape memory alloy spring includes: a valve housing having a first refrigerant flow passage and a second refrigerant flow passage passing through both sides of the valve housing and an opening/closing adjuster receiving space along an opened upper portion of the valve housing; an opening/closing adjuster configured to enter the opening/closing adjuster receiving space and to adjust an opening/closing degree of a valve using a shape memory alloy spring exerting an elastic force at a memory temperature; and a valve cover sealing the opened upper portion of the valve housing.

A refrigeration apparatus includes: a usage-side expansion valve whose opening degree is changed in response to a change in a flow rate or a pressure of a refrigerant on the upstream side; a first expansion valve; and a controller. The controller exerts, in an oil recovery operation, an oil recovery first control on the first expansion valve to attain a first opening degree (an opening degree of increasing an opening degree of the usage-side expansion valve in relation to a reduction in the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve), to reduce the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve. The controller exerts an oil recovery second control following the oil recovery first control on the first expansion valve to attain a second opening degree (an opening degree that allows a liquid refrigerant to flow into a usage-side heat exchanger before the opening degree of the usage-side expansion valve is reduced in relation to an increase in the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve), to increase the flow rate or the pressure of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve.

A cooling system includes a subcooling heat exchange assembly, which controls magnitude of subcooling of refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The subcooling heat exchange assembly includes a first fluid line fluidly coupled to an output of a condenser to enable a first portion of the refrigerant output from the condenser to flow through the first fluid line; a second fluid line fluidly coupled to the output of the condenser to enable a second portion of the refrigerant output from the condenser to flow through the second fluid line; and an expansion valve disposed along the second fluid line, in which the expansion valve exerts a first pressure drop on the second portion of the refrigerant that facilitates extracting heat from the first portion of the refrigerant flowing through the first fluid line using the second portion of the refrigerant flowing through the second fluid line when valve position of the expansion valve is greater than a threshold position. Additionally the cooling system includes a plurality of capillary expansion tubes fluidly coupled in parallel to an output of the first fluid line and that to exert a second pressure drop on the refrigerant circulated through the cooling system.

A cooling system includes an expansion valve configured to exert a first pressure drop on refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The cooling system also includes a plurality of capillary expansion tubes fluidly coupled in parallel to an output of the expansion valve and configured to exert a second pressure drop on the refrigerant circulated through the cooling system. The cooling system also includes a controller communicatively coupled to the expansion valve, wherein the controller is configured to control magnitude of the first pressure drop by instructing the expansion valve to adjust the valve position based at least in part on refrigerant mass flow expected to be supplied to the expansion valve to facilitate substantially uniformly distributing the refrigerant mass flow between each of the plurality capillary expansion tubes.

A refrigeration system includes a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a condenser, and an evaporator. A heat exchanger is disposed downstream of the condenser and upstream of the evaporator, and disposed downstream of the evaporator and upstream of the compressor, the heat exchanger configured to facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant supplied from the condenser and the refrigerant supplied from the evaporator. A first expansion device is disposed downstream of the heat exchanger and upstream of the evaporator, and a second expansion device is disposed downstream of the condenser and upstream of the heat exchanger. The second expansion device is configured to cool the refrigerant passing therethrough to cool the refrigerant in the heat exchanger supplied from the evaporator to the compressor.

A heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) system includes a multi-path expansion device subsystem positioned between a condenser and an evaporator. The multi-path expansion device subsystem includes a flow selector operative to receive a refrigerant from the condenser and selectively deliver the same to a full-load pathway or to a partial-load pathway. The full-load pathway has a modulating valve and a fixed orifice sized for a full-load situation, and the partial-load pathway has a thermal expansion valve (TXV) sized for partial load operation. A controller uses an actuator of the flow selector to choose which pathway is authorized according to certain process logic.

The invention relates to an insert (1) for a thermostatic expansion valve as a thermostatic expansion valve (2) comprising such an insert and to a method of assembling such a thermostatic expansion valve (2). The insert (1) comprises an expansion valve element (3) and an expansion valve seat (4). The expansion valve element (3) is held inside the insert (1) by a biasing member (5), wherein the insert (1) is structured and arranged to be inserted into a valve housing (8). The task of the invention is to provide an insert for a thermostatic expansion valve that allows a simple assembly of the valve and also provides an improved functionality. The task is solved in that the insert (1) further comprises a control valve (12), wherein the control valve (12) is located in the same flow path through the insert (1) as the expansion valve seat (4).

A valve piece urging member urges a valve piece toward a valve closing side, at which an opening degree of a restriction passage is reduced by the valve piece. An actuation member exerts a drive force against the valve piece in a direction of moving the valve piece toward a valve opening side, at which the opening degree of the restriction passage is increased by the valve piece. A vibration limiting member limits vibration of the valve piece in a direction, which intersects with the axial direction, by generating an urging force for urging the valve main body at a location between the valve main body and the valve piece. When the valve piece is moved beyond a predetermined displacement position toward the valve opening side, the valve piece releases the urging force of the vibration limiting member.

A caulking fixation type power element has a diaphragm, an upper lid member forming a pressure actuation chamber with a working gas, a receiving member provided with a through hole in its center portion and arranged in an opposite side to the upper lid member in relation to the diaphragm, and a stopper member arranged in a lower space formed between the diaphragm and the receiving member, and is integrated according to a circumferential welding by lapping the upper lid member, the diaphragm and the receiving member, the stopper member has a main body portion inserted to the through hole of the receiving member, and a flange portion having a larger diameter than the through hole and formed in one end of the main body portion, and the flange portion is arranged so as to come into contact with the receiving member from the lower space side.

The present disclosure provides an expansion valve device which is capable of being mounted easily. The expansion valve device includes: an expansion valve body that depressurizes refrigerant; and a casing in which the expansion valve body is housed. The casing includes a tube portion having an opening through which the expansion valve body is able to pass. The tube portion is formed integrally to surround over an entire perimeter of the expansion valve body. The tube portion has: an elastic holding portion formed of an elastic material and holding the expansion valve body by a reaction force due to elastic deformation by surrounding the entire perimeter of the expansion valve body; and a support portion formed of a material having a higher rigidity than the elastic holding portion and supporting the elastic holding portion. At least a part of the support portion is exposed to outside of the casing.