Experimental comparison of electronic and thermostatic expansion valves performances in an air conditioning plant

Adopting electronic expansion valves in air conditioners enables an appreciable energy saving with respect to the same installations equipped with traditional thermostatic expansion valves. This is due to the fact that electronic valves allow a lower condensation pressure in systems equipped with air cooled condensers, which is adjusted to variations in outside air temperature. Furthermore, PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control over the superheating leads to the best use of evaporator under every condition (lower superheating level of the vapour refrigerant), thus increasing the refrigerating capacity. This paper reports on the results of a set of measurements that were carried out from March to November 2006 on the operation of eight direct expansion air conditioners having a total cooling capacity of 120 kW installed at a telephone control room near Bologna (North Italy). Air conditioners are equipped with both thermostatic and electronic expansion valves, alternatively activated by solenoid valves on a daily basis, in order to compare the two systems in the same environment and at similar load conditions. The annual analysis is supplemented by a transient simulation program to simulate the behaviour of the system in the two different operating modes in different European climates, in order to evaluate the energetic and economic advantages of electronic valve.