International Journal of Energy Research Volume 13 Issue 2, Pages 167 - 178 Published Online: 14 Mar 2007 Copyright 2009

9 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Get Sample Copy Recommend to Your Librarian Save journal to My Profile Set E-Mail Alert Email this page Print this page RSS web feed (What is RSS?) < Previous Abstract | Next Abstract > Save Article to My Profile Download Citation

Abstract | References | Full Text: PDF (Size: 568K) | Related Articles | Citation Tracking Article Digital control of heat pumps with minimized power consumption D. Parnitzki Swiss Federal Aircraft Factory, CH-6032 Emmen, Switzerland Keywords Heat pump Digital control Refrigerator Energy conservation Abstract The paper describes the development of a microcomputer based control system for a heat pump containing an electrical variable speed compressor drive and a motorized expansion valve. It is designed to operate under very much varying load conditions with minimum power consumption. Difficulties that were encountered during engineering tests could finally be overcome by a relatively simple, practical regulator configuration. It operates near optimum efficiency by regulating a temperature difference in the evaporator. Received: 3 November 1987 International Journal of Energy Research Volume 13 Issue 2, Pages 167 - 178 Published Online: 14 Mar 2007 Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Get Sample Copy Recommend to Your Librarian Save journal to My Profile

Set E-Mail Alert Email this page Print this page RSS web feed (What is RSS?) < Previous Abstract | Next Abstract > Save Article to My Profile Download Citation

Abstract | References | Full Text: PDF (Size: 568K) | Related Articles | Citation Tracking Article Digital control of heat pumps with minimized power consumption D. Parnitzki Swiss Federal Aircraft Factory, CH-6032 Emmen, Switzerland Keywords Heat pump Digital control Refrigerator Energy conservation Abstract The paper describes the development of a microcomputer based control system for a heat pump containing an electrical variable speed compressor drive and a motorized expansion valve. It is designed to operate under very much varying load conditions with minimum power consumption. Difficulties that were encountered during engineering tests could finally be overcome by a relatively simple, practical regulator configuration. It operates near optimum efficiency by regulating a temperature difference in the evaporator. ternational Journal of Thermal Sciences Article in Press, Corrected Proof - Note to users Font Size: Abstract - selected References Purchase PDF (645 K) Article Toolbox E-mail Article Add to my Quick Links

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Energy Conversion and Management Experimental analysis of R22 and R407c flow through ele... Energy Conversion and Management Experimental investigation of R407C and R410A flow thro... Energy Conversion and Management Experimental evaluation of electronic and thermostatic ... Applied Thermal Engineering Experimental research on refrigerant mass flow coeffici... Applied Thermal Engineering View More Related Articles The research collaboration tool No user tags yet This article has not yet been bookmarked Not yet shared with any groups doi:10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2008.10.002 Copyright 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS All rights reserved. A new model of mass flow characteristics in electronic expansion valves considering metastability

Liang Chen, a, , Jinghui Liua, Jiangping Chena and Zhijiu Chena aSchool of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China Received 9 July 2007; revised 7 October 2008; accepted 8 October 2008. Available online 30 October 2008. Abstract This paper presents an experimental study on the mass flow characteristics of electronic expansion valves in a wide operating condition range. It was found that flow choking always occurs under common operating conditions in refrigeration systems. Based on metastability in EEVs, a new model predicting mass flow rate was proposed under flow choking conditions. Different from the conventional models using Bernoulli equation which employed downstream pressure at the EEV exit and a corrected mass flow coefficient, the present model considered metastable liquid flow caused by rapid

depressurization, and employed single-phase incompressible flow coefficient and metastable pressure at the throat. An empirical correlation of the metastable pressure, based on the experimental data for R22 and its substitutes, R407C and R410A, was developed in a power law form of dimensionless parameters including upstream operating parameters and refrigerant thermophysical properties and throat area. The predictions of the present model were found to be in good agreement with the measured data, and approximately 95% of the measured data fall within a relative deviation of 7.0%. The comparison with a prior model shows that, in terms of flashing mechanism application and predicting accuracy, the present model is better than the conventional model without considering metastability. Keywords: Electronic Expansion Valve (EEV); Mass flow characteristics; Metastability; Flashing inception; Refrigeration Simulation and Control of Electronic Expansion Valve Liu Tingrui Wang Jidai Chen Guangqing Mech. & Electron. Inst., Shandong Univ. of Sci. & Technol., Qingdao; This paper appears in: Computational Intelligence and Industrial Application, 2008. PACIIA '08. Pacific-Asia Workshop on Publication Date: 19-20 Dec. 2008 Volume: 1, On page(s): 123-126 Location: Wuhan, ISBN: 978-0-7695-3490-9 INSPEC Accession Number: 10416087 Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/PACIIA.2008.11 Current Version Published: 2009-01-20

Abstract The paper mainly expatiates on control theories, parameters, and transfer functions of electronic expansion valve system. It realizes optimal PD controller based on genetic algorithm acceptable for unstable object, with more conspicuous effect, and can be put to use in flux process control with high precision. The paper, in the meantime, illustrates the hardware connections and driving process of the stepper motor. Energy Conversion and Management Volume 48, Issue 5, May 2007, Pages 1624-1630 Font Size: Abstract - selected Article Figures/Tables References

Purchase PDF (626 K) Article Toolbox E-mail Article Add to my Quick Links Cited By in Scopus (0)

Related Articles in ScienceDirect Experimental investigation on mass flow characteristics... Energy Conversion and Management Experimental research on refrigerant mass flow coeffici... Applied Thermal Engineering A new model of mass flow characteristics in electronic ... International Journal of Thermal Sciences Experimental analysis of R22 and R407c flow through ele... Energy Conversion and Management Mass flow characteristics and empirical modeling of R22... International Journal of Refrigeration View More Related Articles View Record in Scopus The research collaboration tool No user tags yet This article has not yet been bookmarked Not yet shared with any groups doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2006.11.011 Copyright 2006 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. Experimental investigation of R407C and R410A flow through electronic expansion valve

Qifang Ye, a, , Jiangping Chena and Zhijiu Chena

aInstitute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huashan Road 1954, Shanghai 200030, PR China Received 6 May 2006; accepted 12 November 2006. Available online 16 January 2007. Abstract The objective of this study is to present test results and to obtain a dimensionless correlation on the basis of experimental data of an electronic expansion valve (EEV) for R407C (R32/125/134a, 23/25/52 wt.%) and R410A (R32/125, 50/50 wt.%). Several EEVs with different valve needle half tapers were selected as test sections. The mass flow rate through the EEVs was measured for different condensing temperatures and degrees of subcooling at the inlet of the EEVs and evaporating temperatures at the outlet of the EEVs. A new correlation by introducing dimensionless parameters based on extensive experimental data of R407C and R410A to predict the mass flow rate passing through the EEV was presented. The dimensionless parameters were chosen by considering the effects of EEV geometry, inlet conditions and refrigerant properties. The relative deviations for the dimensionless correlation were from 9.65% to 8.68% for R407C and from 12.27% to 11.36% for R410A. Keywords: Electronic expansion valve; Mass flow rate; Correlation Energy Conversion and Management Volume 47, Issue 5, March 2006, Pages 529-544 Font Size: Abstract - selected Article Figures/Tables References Purchase PDF (490 K) Article Toolbox E-mail Article Add to my Quick Links Cited By in Scopus (6)

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Energy Conversion and Management Experimental research on refrigerant mass flow coeffici... Applied Thermal Engineering 06/02228 Experimental evaluation of prototype thermoele... Fuel and Energy Abstracts 06/02229 Experimental investigation of a CO2 automotive... Fuel and Energy Abstracts View More Related Articles View Record in Scopus The research collaboration tool No user tags yet This article has not yet been bookmarked Not yet shared with any groups doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2005.05.005 Copyright 2005 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved. Experimental analysis of R22 and R407c flow through electronic expansion valve

Chuan Zhang, , Shanwei Ma, Jiangpin Chen and Zhijiu Chen Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Huashan Road 1954, Shanghai 200030, PR China Received 7 November 2004; accepted 18 May 2005. Available online 15 July 2005. Abstract The objective of this study is to present test results and to develop a dimensionless correlation on the basis of experimental data to predict the mass flow rate of R22 and its alternative refrigerant R407c through an electronic expansion valve (EEV). The mass flow rate was measured at a series of condensing temperatures, evaporating temperatures and degrees of subcooling at the EEV inlet with five opening setting degrees of the EEV. The experimental results were analyzed, and it was found that the operation condition, flow area and the thermophysical properties of the refrigerant would affect the mass flow rate through the EEV. A new correlation based on the Buckingham theorem was developed to predict the mass flow rate of refrigerants through the EEV. The relative deviations of the predicted value by using this correlation

are from 10.74% to 9.26% for R22 and from 14.20% to 22.10% for R407c. The average deviations and standard deviations are 0.79% and 5.02% for R22 and 0.67% and 8.08% for R407c, respectively. The relative deviation was analyzed in terms of the operation condition and flow area of the EEV. This correlation can be used to predict the mass flow rate through EEVs whose largest flow area is less than 2.544 mm2. Keywords: Electronic expansion valve; Refrigerant; Correlation; Mass flow rate Applied Thermal Engineering Volume 22, Issue 2, February 2002, Pages 205-218 Font Size: Abstract - selected Article Figures/Tables References Purchase PDF (461 K) Article Toolbox E-mail Article Add to my Quick Links Cited By in Scopus (8)

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The research collaboration tool No user tags yet This article has not yet been bookmarked Not yet shared with any groups doi:10.1016/S1359-4311(01)00071-0 Copyright 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Experimental evaluation of electronic and thermostatic expansion valves performances using R22 and R407C

Ciro Aprea, , a and Rita Mastrullob a Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy b DETEC, University of Napoli Federico II, P. le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy Received 7 February 2001; accepted 9 July 2001. Available online 6 November 2001. Abstract An experimental study to evaluate the energetic performances in steady-state and in transient operating modes of an electronic and thermostatic expansion valve is presented. Both valves have been assembled to feed an air cooled evaporator connected to an experimental vapour compression plant with a water cooled condenser operating with a semihermetic compressor. The performances of the valves have been examined at different conditions when the experimental plant works with R22 and with a substitute as the non-azeotropic blend R407C that is chlorine free. Indeed the HCFC designated as R22 contains chlorine that is harmful for the ozone layer and must be replaced in the future. The final results of this study show an overall better performance of the electronic expansion valve compared with the thermostatic expansion valve under transient conditions while in steady-state conditions both the valves are equal in performance. These results apply to both R22 and R407C. Applied Thermal Engineering Volume 22, Issue 2, February 2002, Pages 205-218 Font Size: Abstract - selected Article Figures/Tables References

Purchase PDF (461 K) Article Toolbox E-mail Article Add to my Quick Links Cited By in Scopus (8)

Related Articles in ScienceDirect An experimental evaluation of the vapour compression pl... Applied Thermal Engineering Experimental analysis of R22 and R407c flow through ele... Energy Conversion and Management Experimental comparison of electronic and thermostatic ... International Journal of Refrigeration Experimental research on refrigerant mass flow coeffici... Applied Thermal Engineering Experimental investigation of R407C and R410A flow thro... Energy Conversion and Management View More Related Articles View Record in Scopus The research collaboration tool No user tags yet This article has not yet been bookmarked Not yet shared with any groups doi:10.1016/S1359-4311(01)00071-0 Copyright 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Experimental evaluation of electronic and thermostatic expansion valves performances using R22 and R407C

Ciro Aprea, , a and Rita Mastrullob

a Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy b DETEC, University of Napoli Federico II, P. le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy Received 7 February 2001; accepted 9 July 2001. Available online 6 November 2001. Abstract An experimental study to evaluate the energetic performances in steady-state and in transient operating modes of an electronic and thermostatic expansion valve is presented. Both valves have been assembled to feed an air cooled evaporator connected to an experimental vapour compression plant with a water cooled condenser operating with a semihermetic compressor. The performances of the valves have been examined at different conditions when the experimental plant works with R22 and with a substitute as the non-azeotropic blend R407C that is chlorine free. Indeed the HCFC designated as R22 contains chlorine that is harmful for the ozone layer and must be replaced in the future. The final results of this study show an overall better performance of the electronic expansion valve compared with the thermostatic expansion valve under transient conditions while in steady-state conditions both the valves are equal in performance. These results apply to both R22 and R407C. Author Keywords: Thermostatic expansion valve; Electronic expansion valve; R22; R407C Energy Volume 28, Issue 2, February 2003, Pages 141-155 Font Size: Abstract - selected Article Figures/Tables References Purchase PDF (236 K) Article Toolbox E-mail Article Add to my Quick Links Cited By in Scopus (15)

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J. M. Choi and Y. C. Kim, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Korea University, Anam-dong, Sungbuk-ku, Seoul 136-701, South Korea Received 12 April 2001. Available online 12 December 2002. Abstract An inverter-driven multi-air conditioner provides the benefits of comfort, energy conservation and easy maintenance. Recently, the multi-air conditioner has been employed in small and medium-sized buildings. However, the performance data and control algorithm for multi-air conditioners are limited in literature due to complicated system parameters and operating conditions. In the present study, the performance of an inverter-driven multi-air conditioner having two indoor units with electronic expansion valves (EEV) was measured by varying indoor loads, EEV opening, and compressor speed. Based on the experimental results, the operating characteristics and capacity modulation of the inverter-driven multi-air conditioner are discussed. As a result, it is suggested that the superheats for both indoor units have to be maintained around 4oC by utilizing the EEVs in this system, and consequently, the compressor speed needs to be adjusted to provide optimum cooling capacity for each indoor unit.

SAE Home > Publications > Papers Automotive A/C System Integrated With Electrically Controlled Variable Capacity Scroll Compressor and Fuzzy Logic Refrigerant Flow Management Document Number: 2001-01-0587 Date Published: March 2001 Author(s): Xin Zeng - General Motors Corp. Greg Major - GM Adv Tech. Vehicles Toyataka Hirao - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. M. Sekita - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. M. Fujitani - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. Abstract: This paper describes the recent efforts on developing an automotive climate control system throughout integrating an electrically-controlled variable capacity scroll compressor with a fuzzy logic control-based refrigerant flow management. Applying electrically controlled variable capacity compressor technology to climate control systems has a significant impact on improving vehicle fuel economy, achieving higher passenger comfort level, and extending air and refrigerant temperature controllability as well. In this regard, it is very important for automotive climate control engineers to layout a system-level temperature control strategy so that the operation of variable capacity compressor can be optimized through integrating the component control schemes into the system-level temperature control. Electronically controlled expansion devices have become widely available in automotive air conditioning (A/C) systems for the future vehicle applications. An electronic expansion valve (EXV), similar to the mechanically actuated thermostatic expansion valve (TXV), is a flow control device whose operational goal is to throttle and regulate the refrigerant flow rate. Principally, TXV regulates the refrigerant entering the evaporating equipment in response to the superheat variation. Comparing to the mechanical actuation mechanism of TXV, the electronically modulated EXV gives the additional flexibility to apply the microprocessor-based intelligent control. Accordingly, a fuzzy logic algorithm of EXV has been incorporated to the A/C system control in order to achieve a high efficiency and optimal operation. The primary objectives of this paper are to (a) present the design features and control mechanism of an electrically-controlled variable capacity scroll compressor; (b) describe the temperature control system architecture of refrigeration circuit and air flow management; (c) describe the architecture of fuzzy logic control of a refrigerant flow control; and (d) discuss and analyze the results obtained in bench testing. International Journal of Energy Research Volume 30 Issue 15, Pages 1313 - 1322

Published Online: 1 Aug 2006 Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Get Sample Copy Recommend to Your Librarian Save journal to My Profile Set E-Mail Alert Email this page Print this page RSS web feed (What is RSS?) < Previous Abstract | Next Abstract > Save Article to My Profile Download Citation

Abstract | References | Full Text: PDF (Size: 308K) | Related Articles | Citation Tracking Research Article Performance of thermostatic and electronic valves controlling the compressor capacity C. Aprea 1, R. Mastrullo 2, C. Renno 1 * 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo 1, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy 2DETEC, University of Naples Federico II, P.le Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy email: C. Renno (crenno@unisa.it) *Correspondence to C. Renno, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Ponte Don Melillo 1, 84084 Fisciano (Salerno), Italy Keywords thermostatic valve electronic valve experimental plant energy saving Abstract The performance of the energy consumption of an electronic valve and a classical thermostatic valve has been compared when these expansion valves are adopted in a vapour compression plant subjected to a cold store. The main aim is to verify experimentally which type of expansion valve would be preferable from energy point of view when a classical thermostat or a fuzzy logic algorithm are used as the control system for the refrigeration capacity. The fuzzy logic-based control is able to modulate continuously the compressor speed through an inverter. The results show that with a fuzzy algorithm, the thermostatic expansion valve allows an energy saving of about 8% in comparison with the electronic valve. When on-off control is used, the electric energy consumption obtained both with the electronic valve and with the thermostatic valve is comparable. Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Received: 5 May 2005; Revised: 9 February 2006; Accepted: 20 April 2006

Effect of the thermostatic expansion valve characteristics on the stability of a refrigeration system-Part I Kulkarni, A.; Mulay, V.; Agonafer, D.; Schmidt, T. Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems, 2002. ITHERM 2002. The Eighth Intersociety Conference on Volume , Issue , 2002 Page(s): 403 - 407 Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/ITHERM.2002.1012484 Summary: The combination of increased power dissipation and increased packaging density has led to substantial increases in chip and module heat flux in high-end computers. The challenge has been to limit the rise in chip temperature. In the past virtually all-commercial computers were designed to operate at temperatures above the ambient. However researchers have identified the advantages of operating electronics at low temperatures. The current research focuses on IBM's S/390 mainframe, which uses a conventional refrigeration system to maintain chip temperatures below that of comparable air-cooled systems, but well above cryogenic temperatures. Attention will be to investigate the characteristics of the thermostatic expansion valve, specifically, the effect of variation of evaporator outlet superheat on the flow through the TXV at varying evaporator temperature, and the effect of sudden changes in evaporator heat load and condenser pressure variation on the temperature oscillations at the evaporator. The paper also discusses the effect of changes in the thermostatic bulb location and bulb time constant on the hunting phenomena at the evaporator. View citation and abstract

Electronic Expansion Valves: The Basics By John Tomczyk July 28, 2004 ARTICLE TOOLS

Figure 1. A conventional thermostatic expansion valve (TXV or TEV) is controlled by springs, bellows, and push rods. (Graphics courtesy of Sporlan Valve Co.)

The function of the thermostatic expansion valve (TXV or TEV) is to hold a constant evaporator superheat. When set and operating properly, the TXV will keep the evaporator active throughout its entire length. The conventional TXV is controlled by springs, bellows, and push rods. (See Figure 1.) The spring force is a closing force on the TXV. The evaporator pressure, which acts under the thermostatic elements diaphragm, is also a closing force. An opening force is the remote bulb force, which acts on top of the thermostatic elements diaphragm. There is also a liquid force from the liquid line, which acts on the face of the needle valve and has a tendency to open the valve. However, this force is cancelled out when using a balanced port TXV. Working together, these forces maintain a constant evaporator superheat in a refrigeration system. There are no electronic devices associated with a conventional TXV. EEVs

The SEH-100 EEV from Sporlan Valve Co.

The electronic expansion valve (EEV) operates with a much more sophisticated design. EEVs control the flow of refrigerant entering a direct expansion evaporator. They do this in response to signals sent to them by an electronic controller. A small motor is used to open and close the valve port. The motor is called a step or stepper motor. Step motors do not rotate continuously. They are controlled by an electronic controller and rotate a fraction of a revolution for each signal sent to them by the electronic controller. The step motor is driven by a gear train, which positions a pin in a port in which refrigerant flows. A cutaway of an EEV with step motor and drive assembly is shown in Figure 2. Step motors can run at 200 steps per second and can return to their exact position very quickly. The controller remembers the number of step signals sent by the controller. This makes it possible for the controller to return the valve to any previous position at any time. This gives the valve very accurate control of refrigerant that flows through it. Most of these EEVs have 1,596 steps of control and each step is 0.0000783 inches. Sensors

Figure 2. A cutaway of an electronic expansion valve (EEV) with step motor and drive assembly.

The electronic signals sent by the controller to the EEV are usually done by a thermistor connected to discharge airflow in the refrigerated case. A thermistor is nothing but a resistor that changes its resistance as its temperature changes. Other sensors are often located at the evaporator inlet and outlet to sense evaporator superheat. This protects the compressor from any liquid floodback under low superheat conditions. Pressure transducers can also be wired to the controller for pressure/temperature and superheat control. Pressure transducers generally have three wires. Two wires supply power and the third is an output signal. Generally, as system pressure increases, the voltage sent out by the signal wire will increase. The controller uses this voltage to calculate the temperature of the refrigerant with the use of a pressure/temperature table programmed into the controller.

A combination of compressor floodback protection and the ability to maintain refrigerator case discharge air temperature set point control makes the EEV useful in many diverse applications. Some EEV controllers can also be programmed for custom control applications. Feedback Loop

Figure 3. The feedback loop.

The controller may open the EEV too much and cause an overcooling condition. The sensors connected to the refrigeration system and wired to the controller will sense this overcooling condition and feed this information to the electronic controller and the EEV. This will cause the step motor to move in the closing direction and close the valve more. The feedback loop is shown in Figure 3. Next month: Advanced aspects of EEVs will be covered in the Sept. 6 issue of The News. John Tomczyk is a professor of HVACR at Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich., and the author of Troubleshooting and Servicing Modern Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Systems, published by ESCO Press. To order, call 800-726-9696. Tomczyk can be reached by e-mail at tomczykj@tuckerusa.com. Publication date: 08/02/2004

3 Energy-Saving Strategies for Freezers by Pat Melvin September 1, 2006 ARTICLE TOOLS EmailPrintReprintsShare Use

Enlarge this picture An electric expansion valve allows the head pressure control to be eliminated, which permits a lower head pressure and condensing temperature. Following some simple best practices can help you ensure that your small freezers are energy efficient.

As summer comes to an end and high energy bills have been paid in full, many manufacturers and processors are left wondering what they can do to increase energy efficiency and decrease costs. With rolling California blackouts, increasing gasoline costs and high energy bills, any words of wisdom seem to go a long way. Following is a short list of best practices for keeping your freezers energy efficient while also staying current on the latest technological advances. 1. Specify an Electric Expansion Valve Only a few manufacturers offer refrigeration systems with an electronic expansion valve. One equipment manufacturer uses a valve with 1,600 steps that can efficiently maintain superheat from the pull-down cycle through the normal refrigeration mode. Conventional thermostatic expansion valves typically are less adjustable and efficient. With a standard mechanical system, the head pressure must be maintained with a head pressure control valve or fan cycling because a thermostatic expansion valve requires about 100 lb across the valve to operate properly. Because the electric expansion valve does not require this high head pressure, the head pressure control can be eliminated, which allows for a lower head pressure and condensing temperature. A compressor operating at a lower condensing temperature yields higher capacity with less energy input. 2. Maintain Proper Defrost Schedules Frost buildup reduces a refrigeration systems efficiency, so an efficient defrost system is a must. Some traditional refrigeration systems are preset to defrost about six to eight times during the day, regardless of the amount of frost buildup on the evaporator. However, frost accumulation is not always consistent; it is influenced by changeable conditions, such as ambient temperature, humidity and product load. Defrosting before a significant amount of frost accumulates is an energy-wasting process. Instead, defrosting should only take place when the coils need to be cleaned. Demand defrost, which constantly checks for ice buildup on the evaporator to determine if defrosting is required, can be an efficient alternative to the conventional method and is a good way to minimize defrost time. Extensive laboratory tests indicate that many unnecessary defrosts can be eliminated with demand defrost technology. Electricity consumption is also dramatically reduced -- in some applications, up to a 26 percent energy savings is possible. 3. Consider Reverse Cycle Defrost Another defrost option involves a reverse cycle valve added to the condensing unit and used with an electronic system that controls the entire refrigeration system.

The valves primary function is to reverse the direction of refrigerant flow during defrost. When the master controllers demand defrost determines that a defrost is necessary, the reverse cycle valve is activated, and the high-temperature refrigerant flow is reversed. The refrigerant flows back through the evaporator coil, heating it along its entire length and eliminating frost buildup. When defrost heaters are used, sometimes only part of the coil is heated, leaving ice deposits that diminish the evaporators performance. For those freezers sized to use reverse cycle technology, the technology offers other benefits. It uses less energy than electric defrost heaters and can reduce defrost energy usage by 80 percent. It eliminates the need for defrost heaters, head pressure control valves, check valves and expansion valves at the condenser. Removing these components reduces the evaporator cost and the cost of installation and wiring. Defrost time also is lessened. Pat Melvin Pat Melvin is engineering manager at Master-Bilt Products, New Albany, Miss., a manufacturer of refrigerated coolers and freezers. Melvin has nearly 12 years of experience in refrigeration, designing and engineering walk-ins, cabinets and refrigeration systems. For more information, call (800) 647-1284 or visit www.masterbilt.com.