CFD-Based Electronic Expansion Valve Cavitation and Noise Characteristics Analysis

Traditional throttling elements (such as capillary tubes, etc.) cannot meet the needs of air conditioners, while electronic expansion valves are widely used for their wide adjustment range and other advantages. The electronic expansion valve is also accompanied by noise during the operation of the air conditioner. This paper is based on numerical calculations of the flow field characteristics of the electronic expansion valve at different openings. The distribution of the flow field and the characteristics of cavitation are obtained. Finally, the following conclusions are obtained: with the increase of valve opening, the valve flow rate increases from 0.01499 kg/s to 0.02431 kg/s; the maximum flow rate of the flow field increases with the number of valve pulses, while the pressure drop at the throat decreases with the increase of valve opening. The cavitation is mainly generated downstream, and the cavitation in the flow field gradually decreases with the increase of valve opening. The maximum noise in the flow field increases from 113.86 dB to 122.01 dB when the valve opening increases from 100 pulses to 150 pulses.