Electronic expansion valves are certainly, better than traditional thermal expansion valves. Allowing proven gains in power consumption and aiding in the fight against natural resource wasting, they favor simplicity and adjustment precision on-site, making the field technician’s job easier. Without a doubt, a higher initial investment is required, but the return on investment, in accordance with seasoned experts, is immensely superior. Why is there still resistance from those who could benefit the most from the positive results?

Let’s see the distinctions of the electronic expansion valve. “Among others, we may mention three main distinctions of electronic expansion valves in relation to thermal expansion valves. Electronic expansion valves allow an effective power economy in our refrigeration systems, meaning they allow the same cold and spend less energy. This not only reduces the electric bill, but also helps the environment and the planet. Its adjustment is also more convenient and precise for the refrigeration expert, allowing them to set up directly on the screen of an electronic controller instead of physically adjusting a thermal expansion valve inside the environment. A third point is its more precise control on superheating and its wider working range, resulting in a lower cooling time, also called pull-down,” explains Luiz Villaça, from Rac Brasil application engineering.

Fabiano Damião, technical consultant for application engineering products for Full Gauge Controls, a company that has in its portfolio the Valex line, comprised by two models of drivers to command electronic expansion valves, states: “Electronic expansion valves are used in a safe and reliable manner in high-efficiency equipment, increasing the compressor’s shelf life in food cooling, heating pumps, or climatization systems. Its optimal performance in electric power economy, as well as its ease of installation and setting up, are its biggest distinctions when compared to the old-fashioned thermal valves that we may still find in the market.”

Which is the essential change from a thermal valve to an electronic one? Villaça uses a car industry vision to explain the technology transition. “The thermal expansion valves change to electronic expansion valves in refrigeration systems is the equivalent to the change between carburetors to electronic injection in cars. It is a transition from the analog mechanical control to the digital electronic one, with the resulting benefits we may see in the day-to-day. And that opens up a major route in refrigeration for its integration with other digital control, automation and monitoring devices, whether they be local or remote, centralized or via internet. And with the reduction in costs that have happened lately, these benefits will reach the smaller facilities, as was the case with electronic injection, that reached even mass-produced popular cars.”

Using the line offered by his company to establish the advantages and comparisons, the Full Gauge engineer highlights the “compact and integrated instruments that offer a complete solution, with set-ups for the control of several electronic expansion valve models, as well as the control for superheating, environmental temperature, defrost, pressure, ventilation, lighting, and alarms. In other words, our products replace the controller or thermostat of the device since they control the refrigeration processes, and also the liquid’s flow.” Damião also explains that the line includes, within its drive, the ultracap, an internal safety device that waivers the use of solenoid in case of a power cut, closing the body of the electronic expansion valve (EEV). “The instruments of Valex line also receive information from the pressure transducer and gather the pump down, not requiring a mechanical pressure gauge for this procedure, all this through programming set by the technical user. The possibility of managing and supervising through the Sitrad Pro software is also another point we highlight. Therefore it is possible to remotely control the devices and facilities, alter parameters, generate reports and much more, all via internet.”

After all the statements, it is hard to understand the reason why technicians and specialists do not use the electronic expansion valve en masse. “In the later years, the electronic expansion valves are gaining ground, since technicians in this field are acknowledging their advantages, as well as ease of installation and setting up, and contributing to the power efficiency and sustainability. Our main challenge is to sell the idea that purchasing a product from Full Gauge Controls’ Valex line is an investment that is paid off within months. And we are succeeding greatly in this mission,” finishes Damião.