2023/10/18 18:15 Flow control valve that maintains evaporator superheat for use in refrigeration cycles - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国

Thermostatic Expansion Valve (2P)

Flow control valve that maintains evaporator superheat for use in refrigeration
cycles

Library: Simscape / Fluids / Two-Phase Fluid / Valves & Orifices / Flow

Control Valves

Description
The Thermostatic Expansion Valve (2P) block models a valve with a pressure drop that maintains an
evaporator superheat in a two-phase fluid network. This valve is typically placed between a
condenser and evaporator in a refrigeration system and maintains a specific temperature differential
by moderating the flow into the evaporator.

When the superheat, the difference in temperature between the vapor at the evaporator outlet and
the fluid evaporating temperature, reaches the Static (minimum) evaporator superheat, the valve
closes. This reduces the flow through the evaporator, which reduces the heat transfer in the
evaporator and increases the evaporator outlet temperature. When you enable a maximum pressure
or temperature limit with the MOP limit for evaporating pressure parameter, the valve closes when
the limit is exceeded.

The bulb sensor at port S measures the evaporator outlet temperature. If the valve in your system
has external pressure equalization, the evaporator outlet pressure is modeled by a line connection
from the evaporator to port E. Otherwise, the pressure at port B is used for internal pressure
equalization. The block balances the bulb pressure, which acts to open the valve, with the valve
equalization pressure, which acts to close the valve.

Opening Area
The valve operates primarily to control the mass flow rate between a condenser and an evaporator
by regulating the effective open area, Seff. The mass flow rate is calculated as

2 Δp
ṁ = Sef ,
√v 2 2 0.25
in
(Δ p − Δp
lam)

where:

vin is the inlet specific volume, or the fluid volume per unit mass.

Δp is the pressure differential over the valve, pA – pB.

Δplam is the pressure threshold for transitional flow. Below this value, the flow is laminar. It is
calculated as:

p A + pB
Δplam = (1 − Blam),
2

https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/hydro/ref/thermostaticexpansionvalve2p.html?#mw_a546278d-ce67-423d-b970-42a2… 1/8
2023/10/18 18:15 Flow control valve that maintains evaporator superheat for use in refrigeration cycles - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国

where Blam is the Laminar flow pressure ratio.

The effective valve area depends on the pressure difference between the measured pressure, pbulb
and the equalization pressure, peq:

Sef = β[(pbulb − peq) − (psat (Tevap + ΔTstatic) − psat (Tevap))],

where:

βis a valve constant determined from nominal operating conditions. See Determining β from
Nominal Conditions for more information.

Tevap is the Nominal evaporating temperature parameter.

ΔTstatic is the Static (minimum) evaporator superheat parameter.

p
sat
(T
evap
) is the fluid saturation pressure as a function of Tevap. The block uses the tablelookup
function to identify this value.

p
sat
(T
evap
is the saturation pressure as a function of Tevap+ΔTstatic. The block uses the
+ΔT
static
)

tablelookup function to identify this value.

pbulbis the fluid pressure of the bulb. The bulb pressure is the saturation pressure,
, unless pressure limiting is enabled and the maximum pressure has been
pbulb = psat (Tbulb)

reached; see MOP limit for evaporating pressure for more information. Tbulb is the bulb fluid
temperature.

p
eq
depends on the valve pressure equalization setting:

When you set Pressure equalization to Internal pressure equalization, peq is the pressure
at port B.

When you set Pressure equalization to External pressure equalization, peq is the pressure
at port E.

The effective valve area has limits. The minimum effective valve area, Seff,min, is

Sef ,min = fleak Sef ,nom,

where feak is the Closed valve leakage flow as a fraction of nominal flow. The nominal effective
valve area, Seff,nom and maximum effective valve area are discussed in Determining β from Nominal
Conditions.

Determining β from Nominal Conditions

β represents the relationship between the nominal evaporator superheat and the nominal

evaporator capacity, the rate of heat transfer between the two fluids in the evaporator:

Sef ,nom
β = ,
[psat (Tevap + ΔTnom) − psat (Tevap)]

where psat(Tevap+ΔTnom) is the saturation pressure at the sum of the Nominal evaporating
temperature and the Nominal (static + opening) evaporator superheat.

The nominal effective valve area, Seff,nom, is calculated as a function of the nominal condenser and
evaporator thermodynamics:

https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/hydro/ref/thermostaticexpansionvalve2p.html?#mw_a546278d-ce67-423d-b970-42a2… 2/8
2023/10/18 18:15 Flow control valve that maintains evaporator superheat for use in refrigeration cycles - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国
Qnom

[c ]
p,evapΔTnom + hevap − hcond + c p,cond ΔTsub
Sef ,nom = ,
2
(psat (Tcond ) − psat (Tevap))
√v
cond

where:

Tcond is the Nominal condensing temperature.

vcond is the liquid specific volume at Tcond.

Q
nom
is the Nominal evaporator capacity.

cp,evap is the vapor specific heat at Tevap.

hevap is the vapor specific enthalpy at Tevap.

c
p,cond
is the liquid specific heat at Tcond.

h
cond
is the liquid specific enthalpy at Tcond.

ΔTsubis the Nominal condenser subcooling. Subcooling is the difference in temperature

between the condenser outlet and the condensing temperature.

The maximum effective area of the valve is determined in the same way as Seff,nom, but instead uses
Maximum evaporator capacity in the place of the Nominal evaporator capacity.
Pressure Equalization
The equalization pressure is the pressure at the evaporator outlet that governs valve operability. In
physical systems with low pressure loss in the evaporator due to viscous friction, pressure
equalization can occur internally with the pressure at port B. This is referred to as internal pressure
equalization. In systems with larger losses, connect the evaporator outlet port to the valve block at
port E.

MOP Limit for Evaporating Pressure

You can limit to the maximum pressure in the evaporator by specifying a maximum pressure or
associated temperature with the MOP limit for evaporating pressure parameter. If enabled, the
valve closes when the bulb temperature exceeds the temperature associated with maximum bulb
pressure, and opens once the pressure reduces. If MOP limit for evaporating pressure is set to Off,
or the measured pressure is below the limit, pbulb = psat (Tbulb) . If enabled, when the measurement
exceeds the limit, the bulb pressure remains at

pbulb,MOP
pbulb = Tbulb,
Tbulb,MOP

where:

p
bulb,MOP
is a function of the Maximum operating pressure, peq,MOP, or the pressure associated
with the Maximum operating temperature, and the nominal evaporator temperature:

pbulb,MOP = peq,MOP + psat (Tevap + ΔTstatic) − psat (Tevap).

T is the bulb fluid temperature. This is the temperature at port S if Bulb temperature
bulb

dynamics is set to Off. A first-order delay is applied to the bulb temperature if Bulb temperature
dynamics is set to On.

T
bulb,MOP
is the associated temperature at the pressure pbulb,MOP.

https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/hydro/ref/thermostaticexpansionvalve2p.html?#mw_a546278d-ce67-423d-b970-42a2… 3/8
2023/10/18 18:15 Flow control valve that maintains evaporator superheat for use in refrigeration cycles - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国

Bulb Temperature Dynamics

You can model the bulb dynamic response to changing temperatures by setting Bulb temperature
dynamics to On. This introduces a first-degree lag in the measured temperature:

dTbulb TS − Tbulb
= ,
dt τbulb

where:

T
S
is the temperature at port S. If bulb dynamics are not modeled, this is Tbulb.

τ
bulb
is the Bulb thermal time constant.

Fluid Specific Volume Dynamics

When the fluid at the valve inlet is a liquid-vapor mixture, the block calculates the specific volume as:

vin = (1 − xdyn)vliq + xdynvvap,

where:

x
dyn
is the inlet vapor quality. The block applies a first-order lag to the inlet vapor quality of the
mixture.

v
liq
is the liquid specific volume of the fluid.

vvap is the vapor specific volume of the fluid.

If the inlet fluid is liquid or vapor, vin is the respective liquid or vapor specific volume.

Vapor Quality Lag

If the inlet vapor quality is a liquid-vapor mixture, the block applies a first-order time lag:

dxdyn xin − xdyn

= ,
dt τ

where:

x
dyn
is the dynamic vapor quality.

xin is the current inlet vapor quality.

τ is the Inlet phase change time constant.

If the inlet fluid is a subcooled liquid, xdyn is equal to xin.

Conservation Equations
Mass is conserved through the valve:

ṁ A + ṁ B = 0,

where:

ṁ A is the mass flow rate at port A.

ṁ B is the mass flow rate at port B.

Reversed flows are numerically supported, however, the valve block is not designed for flows from
port B to port A.

https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/hydro/ref/thermostaticexpansionvalve2p.html?#mw_a546278d-ce67-423d-b970-42a2… 4/8
2023/10/18 18:15 Flow control valve that maintains evaporator superheat for use in refrigeration cycles - MATLAB - MathWorks 中国

Energy flow is also conserved through the valve:

Φ A + Φ B = 0,

where:

Φ
A
is the energy flow rate at port A.

Φ
B
is the energy flow rate at port B.

Ports

Conserving expand all

 A — Fluid inlet
two-phase fluid

 B — Fluid outlet
two-phase fluid

 S — Sensing bulb temperature measurement

two-phase fluid

 E — Equalization line pressure measurement

two-phase fluid

Parameters expand all

Nominal evaporator capacity — Evaporator heat transfer rate in nominal


conditions
15 kW (default) | positive scalar

 Maximum evaporator capacity — Maximum evaporator heat transfer rate

20 kW (default) | positive scalar

Nominal evaporating temperature — Evaporator saturation temperature in


nominal conditions
283.15 K (default) | positive scalar

Static (minimum) evaporator superheat — Minimum allowable temperature

differential at the evaporator outlet


https://ww2.mathworks.cn/help/releases/R2022a/physmod/hydro/ref/thermostaticexpansionvalve2p.html?#mw_a546278d-ce67-423d-b970-42a2… 5/8