7/30/2016

FloatValveusedasThrottlingDeviceinRefrigeratorSystems

FloatValveusedastheThrottlingDeviceinRefrigerationSystems
writtenby:HareshKhemanieditedby:LamarStonecypherupdated:12/7/2009
Thefloatvalveisusedasthethrottlingdeviceinthelargerefrigerationsystems.Therearetwotypesoffloatvalves:lowsidefloatvalvesandhighsidefloatvalves.
Bothhavebeendescribedhere.
Floatvalveisusedasthethrottlingdeviceinthelargeindustrialrefrigerationplantsthatfulfillthecoolingrequirementsoftheentireprocess.Therearetwotypesof
floatvalvesasdiscussedbelow:

LowSideFloatValves
Thelowsidefloattypeofthethrottlingvalveisusuallyusedinthefloodedtypeoftherefrigerationplants.Inindustrialrefrigerationplantstheevaporatorsareofshell
andtubetype.Intheplantswithmediumcapacitytherefrigerantisfilledinthetubesideandthesubstancetobechilledisfilledinshellsidesuchasinthewater
chillingplants.Butwhenverylowtemperatureisrequiredforlargequantityofthesubstancetherefrigerantisfilledintheshellsideandthesubstancetobechilledis
ontubeside.Suchtypesofevaporatorsarecalledasthefloodedevaporators.
Thefloatvalvemaintainstheconstantleveloftheliquidinthefloodedevaporatorirrespectiveofthepressureandthetemperatureinsideit.Thefloatofthelowside
floatvalveisplacedintheevaporator,whichisatlowpressure.Theconstructionandtheworkingofthelowsiderefrigerationfloatvalvearesimilartothefloatvalve
usedinthewatertankusedformaintainingtheleveloftheliquid.
Inthewatertankthefloatkeepsfloatinginsideonthewateranditsarmisconnectedtothewaterconnection.Whenthelevelofthewaterdropsdownthearmofthe
floatvalvemovestoopenthewaterconnectionandallowstheflowofthewatertothetank.Whenthetankgetsfilledthefloatrisesupandthearmclosesthewater
connection.Thefloatvalveintherefrigerationplantalsoworksinasimilarmanner.
Thevalveassemblyofthelowsidefloatvalvecomprisesofthehollowball,afloatarm,needlevalveandtheseat(refertheimagesbelow).Thevalveseatandthe
needleformstheorificeopeningofthevalvethatprovidesthethrottlingeffecttotherefrigerantpassingthroughitandthroughwhichtheregulatedamountofthe
refrigerantcanpass.Thevalveseatandtheneedlearelocatedinsidethechamberofthefloatvalvewhichisconnectedtotheevaporator.
Thehollowballorfloatfloatsontherefrigerantinsidetheevaporatorandmovesupanddownaspertheleveloftheliquid.Thehollowballisconnectedtotheneedle
andvalveseatviathefloatarm.Thusastheballmovesupanddownthefloatarmalsomovesthatallowsfortheopeningortheclosingoftheorifice.
Whentheleveloftherefrigerantdropsinsidetheevaporatorduetohighrefrigerationloadthefloatmovesdown,thisallowsfortheopeningoftheorificeofthevalve
increasingtheflowoftherefrigerant.Whenthesufficientamountofrefrigerantenterstheevaporatorthelevelofthefloatrisesduetowhichmovesthefloatvalve
closes.Themovementofthefloatandtheopeningofthefloatvalveisinaccordancetotherefrigerationloadontheevaporator.

LowSideRefrigerationFloatValve

HighSideFloatValve
Whileinthelowsidefloatvalvethefloatchamberisplacedintheevaporatoronlowpressureside,inthehighpressuresidefloatvalveandthefloatchamberis
placedonthehighpressuresidebetweenthecondenserandtheevaporator.Inlowsidefloatvalvethevalveopensastheleveloftherefrigerantdropsinthe
evaporator,butinhighsidefloatvalvethevalveopenswhentheleveloftherefrigerantincreasesinthechamber.
Therefrigerantcondensedinthecondensermovestothechamberofthehighpressurefloatvalve.Astheleveloftherefrigerantrisesthefloatballmovesupand
opensthefloatvalvethatallowsforthepassageoftherefrigerantthroughneedlevalve.Theleveloftherefrigerantwouldriseinfloatchamberwhenmorerefrigerant
iscomingfromthecondenserthatmeansthereismoreloadontheplant.Thuswhenthereishigherloadontheplantthereisincreaseintheflowoftherefrigerant
throughthefloatvalve(refertheimagebelow).
Theleveloftherefrigerantcomingfromthecondenserreduceswhenthereislessloadontheplant.Whentheleveloftherefrigerantdropsdowntheorificeofthe
needlevalvecloses,thusreducingtheflowoftherefrigerantthroughit.Thehighsidefloatvalvesareusuallyusedwiththecentrifugalrefrigerationplants.

HighSideFloatValveforRefrigerationPlants

Reference
1)Book:BasicRefrigerationandAirConditioningbyP.N.Ananthanarayanan,SecondEdition,TataMcGrawHillPublishingCompanyLimited

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FloatValveusedasThrottlingDeviceinRefrigeratorSystems

ImagesCourtesy
1)Book:BasicRefrigerationandAirConditioningbyP.N.Ananthanarayanan,SecondEdition,TataMcGrawHillPublishingCompanyLimited
2)Phillipslowsidefloatvalvemanual
3)Danfosshighpressurefloatvalvemanual.

THROTTLINGDEVICES,EXPANSIONVALVESINREFRIGERATION&AIRCONDITIONINGSYSTEMS
Thisistheseriesofarticlesthatdescribeswhatthethrottlingvalvesarefortherefrigerationandairconditioningsystems.Italsodescribesthefunctionsofthethrottling
valvesandalsoitstypeslikecapillarytube,automaticexpansionvalve,thermostaticexpansionvalveetc.

ThrottlingDevicesortheExpansionValvesUsedintheRefrigerationandAirConditioningSystems
CapillaryTubeforRefrigerationandAirConditioningSystems
ConstantPressureExpansionValveorAutomaticExpansionValve
ThermostaticExpansionValveorTEV
FloatValveusedastheThrottlingDeviceinRefrigerationSystems

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FloatValveusedasThrottlingDeviceinRefrigeratorSystems

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