What is Capacity Control?

Capacity control of a refrigeration plant can be defined as a system which monitors

and controls the output of the plant as per the load on demand. As the load
(temperature) of one room is reached to its required temperature, there will be no
more need of the refrigerant for cooling. Hence, the solenoid valve supplying
refrigerant to that room will shut.

The refrigeration compressor consists of different units working in parallel to cope up

with the load. As the load decreases, the capacity control system cut off one or more
units (depending upon the load) and maintains the efficiency of the plant by reducing
stresses on different parts.

The simplest forms of controlling the room temperature are:

1. Using Variable Speed Motor (Normally used on small AC units)

2. Controlling on-off cycling of the compressor
3. Using Cylinder unloading method of keeping the suction valve in open position.
This is accomplished by introducing a capacity controller valve in the
compressor which is operated by lube oil pressure (hydraulic type) or by sing a
solenoid operated control valves

By using the first 2 methods, following Mechanical problems are experienced:

 Motor overheating: An excessively high switching frequency will cause

excessive motor heating
  Bearing damage: During the startup phase, the oil pressure is low and bearing
lubrication is not optimal leading to reduction of shelf life of bearings and
connected parts
 Oil return in intermittent mode: More oil enters the refrigerant cycle during
startup than during continuous operation; frequent switching does not
provide sufficient oil return

Capacity Control Valve – Lube oil operated

Components and Working of Capacity control valve system

1. Compressor lube oil pump supply

2. Capacity control valve
3. Capacity control regulating valve
4. Un-loader assembly

The compressor lube oil pump supplies oil to all the bearings, and one connection is
provided to the capacity control valve.

The capacity control valve is provided with high-pressure oil from the lube oil supply
pump of the compressor. This valve had several grooves bored into its periphery and
connected to the unloader mechanism of different units.

A spring piston is provided which controls the spreading of high-pressure oil supply
into the bore chamber. The spring piston is pressed by the oil supplied through an
orifice which pushes the piston and aligns the un-loader holes, providing high-
pressure oil to the unloader unit.

The un-loader assembly comprises a un-loader piston held by a spring. The un-
loader piston is connected to a rotating cam ring having lifting pins attached to the
suction valve. The lifting pins always act on the suction valve i.e. un-loading the unit
at stop condition.

When the bores on control valve align with the unloader bores, oil will pass and
press the un-loader piston rotating the cam and releasing the un loader pins from the
suction valve.

The capacity control regulating valve is responsible for controlling the pressure
(opening and closing of capacity control valve ports with un-loader ports). Its one end
is connected to the crankcase and another end to the capacity control valve.

As the pressure in the crankcase drops due to a reduction in load, oil in the capacity
control valve is drained into the crank case leading to the closing of un-loader ports,
lifting of the suction valve, and cutting of the cylinder unit. This likewise means that
all such cylinders are unloaded at start up releasing the unnecessary load on the
motor during the starting period.
Capacity control valve- Solenoid operated
In this type, solenoid valves are used in conjunction with servo valve to operate the
opening and closing of the suction valve. It is fitted on top of the cylinder (near
suction valve). During energized position, the solenoid closes the access between
the two cylinders or stages in the compressor, by keep the suction valve open and
bypassing the hot discharge gas directly to the suction line making the pressure of
the unit as zero bar, and reducing the capacity of the compressor by half.
With the solenoid valve de-energized, the gas ports in the valve plate and cylinder
head are open.

The only disadvantage of this type is that the spring in the solenoid valve may
malfunction and its operation is affected by high variation in temperatures.

Capacity control or regulation in refrigeration compressors enables the refrigeration plant to run
at part loads according to the demand of the refrigerant in the system.

Capacity control is obtained when the solenoid valve, fitted in the top cover, closes the access to
the two cylinders, positioned under the same top cover. This makes the inlet pressure to the
cylinder drop to zero bar. At the same time the compressor capacity is reduced to 50%.
However, a little gas will be flowing through the closed solenoid valve, hereby ensuring the
necessary cooling and lubrication of the cylinders. This capacity control control permits a certain
reduction in power consumption.
Capacity Control

(A) Controlled operation:

With the solenoid valve energized, the suction port in the corresponding cylinder head is shut off
by means of a servo valve; the pistons of this cylinder row run idle without gas pressure.

(B) Normal operation:

With the solenoid valve de-energized, the gas ports in the valve plate and cylinder head are
open.

Note:
Stop the compressor and check that the solenoid valve works correctly. At a current impulse to the
solenoid valve the characteristic valve stroke must be heard!
Refrigeration Compressor Starting Unloader

At a star-delta start of electric motors it is often considered necessary to limit the compression
work of the machine at the starting moment in order to reduce the starting torque of the electric
motor. Usually, a solenoid valve is used in a by-pass arrangement which in the starting up phase
short circuits the discharge side to the suction side of the compressor. At the same time, a non-
return valve must be fitted in the discharge line to the condenser preventing the return flow of
discharge gas to the compressor.
When the electric motor has reached its max. number of revolutions per minute, a switch takes
place from star to delta start. The solenoid valve is closed and the compressor now works under
normal conditions.
Fit the non-return valve in the discharge line after the compressor. Check that the solenoid valve
is fitted with the flow arrow pointing from the high pressure to the low pressure side. A wrongly
fitted valve or a leaky valve will lead to overheating and breakdown of the compressor.

In a few cases a delaying relay must be used, keeping the solenoid valve open until the motor
has reached its max. number of revolutions. The delaying relay is set at a delay of 1-2 sec. after
a switch from star to delta has taken place.