ELECTRONIC EXPANSION VALVE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20150362236A1
• Filed: 01/28/2014
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zhejiang Sanhua Automotive Components Company Limited (Sanhua Holding Group Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hangzhou Sanhua Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jiang, Xiaojun, Jiang, Yibing, Wang, Hui, Zhang, Rongrong
• Application Number:
  US14/764,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20150362236A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 31/04 using a motor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2513 Expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/35 by rotary motors, e.g. by stepping motors
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/70 Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0379 By fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve

Abstract

An electronic expansion valve of an air-conditioning system includes a valve body and an expansion valve controller; the valve body includes a refrigerant channel, a valve pin, and a stepping motor; the stepping motor controls the movement of the valve pin to adjust the size of the opening of the refrigerant channel; the expansion valve controller outputs different control signals according to different operation conditions of the electronic expansion valve; inputting different current to the stepping motor so as to drive the stepping motor to rotate; and controlling the movement of the valve pin to adjust the size of the refrigerant channel. The electronic expansion valve employs different current to drive a stepping motor according to different operation conditions, thus reducing system energy consumption, overcoming abnormal fault of the motor, and extending the service life of the electronic expansion valve.

Claims

1. A controller for an electronic expansion valve, comprising an information receiving unit, an operating condition determining unit and a control unit;

wherein,

the information receiving unit is configured to receive sensor information, control command information, or feedback information;

the operating condition determining unit is configured to determine an operation condition of the electronic expansion valve according to the information received by the information receiving unit, and output a control signal corresponding to the operating condition according to the operating condition of the electronic expansion valve; and

the control unit is configured to output a current control signal to control inputting a current corresponding to the operating condition into a stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve according to the control signal outputted by the operating condition determining unit.

2. The controller for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that the electronic expansion valve is performing an initialization operation, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, the current control signal is configured to input an initialization current into the stepping motor, and the initialization operation is an operation of commanding the electronic expansion valve to go through an entire opening degree range and return to an initial opening degree in the case that the electronic expansion valve starts to operate, the electronic expansion valve is closed, a system abnormity occurs, or the electronic expansion valve is required to perform the initialization operation;

and

the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that the electronic expansion valve is performing a flow rate control operation, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, the current control signal is configured to input a second working current into the stepping motor, and the value of the initialization current is greater than the value of the second working current.

3. The controller for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that a position of a valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is below a preset transition position, and the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, and the current control signal is configured to input a third working current into the stepping motor;

and

the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that the position of the valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is above or is just the preset transition position, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, and the current control signal is configured to input a fourth working current, less than the third working current, into the stepping motor, and the preset transition position is a position that the valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is just disengaged from a refrigerant flow passage and the refrigerant flow passage is opened.

4. The controller for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that a pressure of refrigerant at a refrigerant inlet or a pressure difference between the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet and a pressure of refrigerant at a refrigerant outlet of the electronic expansion valve is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, and the current control signal is configured to input a fifth working current into the stepping motor;

and

the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet or the pressure difference between the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet and the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant outlet of the electronic expansion valve is less than the predetermined threshold value, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, and the current control signal is configured to input a sixth working current, less than the fifth working current, into the stepping motor.

5. The controller for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 1, wherein the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve stalls, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, and the current control signal is configured to input a seventh working current into the stepping motor;

and

the operating condition determining unit is configured to output a control signal to the control unit in the case that the operating condition determining unit determines that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve does not stall, the control unit is configured to output a current control signal according to the control signal, and the current control signal is configured to input an eighth working current, less than the seventh working current, into the stepping motor.

6. The controller for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 5, wherein a signal indicating whether the stepping motor stalls is determined by detecting a flow rate of the refrigerant of the electronic expansion valve, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to obtain a current actual value of the flow rate of the refrigerant via a sensor, and a current opening degree information of the electronic expansion valve is stored in a memorizer of the controller for the electronic expansion valve, and the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to obtain a current theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant according to a correspondence relationship between the opening degree information and the flow rate of the refrigerant, and in the case that a difference between the actual value and the theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant is small, it is determined that the electronic expansion valve operates normally;

and in the case that the difference between the actual value and the theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant is greater than a threshold value, it is determined that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve stalls.

7. The controller for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 5, wherein a signal indicating whether the stepping motor stalls is determined by detecting a back electromotive force generated on a coil of the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve, and it is determined that the stepping motor stalls in the case that a value of the back electromotive force is smaller than a threshold value.

8. An electronic expansion valve, comprising a valve body and a controller for the electronic expansion valve, wherein the valve body comprises a passage allowing refrigerant to flow, a valve needle configured to cooperate with the passage, and a stepping motor configured to control the motion of the valve needle to adjust an opening degree of the passage of the refrigerant;

the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to output, according to an operating condition of the electronic expansion valve, a control signal corresponding to the operation condition to control inputting a current into the stepping motor, to drive the stepping motor to rotate, and the stepping motor is configured to rotate to drive the valve needle to move, to adjust the opening degree of the passage of the refrigerant.

9. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 8, wherein the controller for the electronic expansion valve comprises a local interconnect network (LIN) transceiver module, a central processing module, a drive and control module and a drive module;

the LIN transceiver module is configured to receive a control command, outputted by an air-conditioning controller according to an operating condition of the stepping motor via a LIN bus, and convert the control command into a control command signal which is receivable by the central processing module;

the central processing module is configured to parse the control command signal sent by the LIN transceiver module and output a current control signal;

the drive and control module is configured to receive the current control module sent by the central processing module, perform a comparison operation and output a drive control signal; and

the drive module is configured to input a current into the stepping motor according to the drive control signal outputted by the drive and control module.

10. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 8, wherein the controller for the electronic expansion valve comprises a central control module, a drive and control module, and a drive module which are all integrated in an air-conditioning controller;

the central control module is configured to output a current control signal according to an operating condition of the stepping motor;

the drive and control module is configured to receive the current control signal sent by the central control module, perform a comparison operation and output a drive control signal; and

the drive module is configured to input a current into the stepping motor according to the drive control signal outputted by the drive and control module.

11. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 8, wherein in the case that the electronic expansion valve is performing an initialization operation, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input an initialization working current into the stepping motor, the initialization operation is an operation of commanding the electronic expansion valve to go through an entire opening degree range and return to an initial opening degree in the case that the electronic expansion valve starts to operate, the electronic expansion valve is closed, a system abnormity occurs, or the electronic expansion valve is required to perform the initialization operation;

and in the case that the electronic expansion valve is performing a flow rate control operation, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to control the drive and control module to control the drive module to input a second working current into the stepping motor, and a value of the initialization working current is greater than a value of the second working current.

12. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 11, wherein an initialization operation command is configured to realize control by providing a separate initialization signal bit in a signal sent by the air-conditioning controller to the controller for the electronic expansion valve, or by continuously sending a minimum opening degree signal or a maximum opening degree signal, the maximum opening degree or the minimum opening degree, and an initial opening degree to the controller for the electronic expansion valve by the air-conditioning controller, or by continuously sending a command corresponding to the minimum opening degree or the maximum opening degree, or a command corresponding to the maximum opening degree or the minimum opening degree, and the initial opening degree, to the drive and control module by the air-conditioning controller.

13. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 8, wherein in the case that a position of the valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is below a preset transition position, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input a third working current into the stepping motor;

and in the case that the position of the valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is above or is just the preset transition position, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input a fourth working current, less than the third working current, into the stepping motor, wherein the preset transition position is a position where the valve needle is located in the case that the valve needle is disengaged from the passage of the refrigerant after the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve rotates by a certain degree and the passage of the refrigerant is opened.

14. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 8, wherein in the case that a pressure of refrigerant at a refrigerant inlet or a pressure difference between the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet and a pressure of refrigerant at a refrigerant outlet of the electronic expansion valve is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input a fifth working current into the stepping motor;

and in the case that the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet or the pressure difference between the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet and the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant outlet of the electronic expansion valve is less than the predetermined threshold value, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input a sixth working current, less than the fifth working current, into the stepping motor.

15. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 8, wherein in the case that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve stalls, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input a seventh working current into the stepping motor;

and in the case that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve does not stall, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to input an eighth working current, less than the seventh working current, into the stepping motor.

16. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 15, wherein a signal indicating whether the stepping motor stalls is determined by detecting a flow rate of the refrigerant of the electronic expansion valve, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to obtain a current actual value of the flow rate of the refrigerant via a sensor, and a current opening degree information of the electronic expansion valve is stored in a memorizer of the controller for the electronic expansion valve, and the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to obtain a current theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant according to a correspondence relationship between the opening degree information and the flow rate of the refrigerant, and in the case that a difference between the actual value and the theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant is small, it is determined that the electronic expansion valve operates normally;

and in the case that the difference between the actual value and the theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant is greater than a threshold value, it is determined that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve stalls.

17. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 15, wherein a signal indicating whether the stepping motor stalls is determined by detecting a back electromotive force generated on a coil of the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve, and it is determined that the stepping motor stalls in the case that a value of the back electromotive force is smaller than a threshold value.

18. An air conditioning system, comprising a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and an electronic expansion valve, wherein refrigerant is configured to pass through the electronic expansion valve to form a circulation in the condenser, the evaporator and the compressor, and the electronic expansion valve is the electronic expansion valve according to claim 8 to claim 17.

19. A control method for an electronic expansion valve, the electronic expansion valve comprising a valve body and a controller for the electronic expansion valve, the valve body comprising a passage allowing refrigerant to flow, a valve needle configured to cooperate with the passage, and a stepping motor configured to control the motion of the valve needle to adjust an opening degree of the passage of the refrigerant, and the stepping motor being controlled by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, wherein the control method comprises:

determining, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, an operating condition of the electronic expansion valve according to received information, and inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a current corresponding to the operating condition into the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve according to the operating condition of the electronic expansion valve.

20. The control method for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 19, comprising:

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, an initialization working current into the stepping motor in the case that the controller for the electronic expansion valve determines that the electronic expansion valve is performing an initialization operation, wherein the initialization operation is an operation of commanding the electronic expansion valve to go through an entire opening degree range and return to an initial opening degree in the case that the electronic expansion valve starts to operate, the electronic expansion valve is closed, a system abnormity occurs, or the electronic expansion valve is required to perform the initialization operation; and

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a second working current into the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve in the case that the controller for the electronic expansion valve determines that the electronic expansion valve is performing a flow rate control operation, wherein a value of the initialization working current is greater than a value of the second working current.

21. The control method for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 20, wherein an initialization operation command is configured to realize control by providing a separate initialization signal bit in a signal sent by an air-conditioning controller to the controller for the electronic expansion valve, or by continuously sending a minimum opening degree signal or a maximum opening degree signal, the maximum opening degree or the minimum opening degree, and an initial opening degree to the controller for the electronic expansion valve by the air-conditioning controller, or by continuously sending a command corresponding to the minimum opening degree or the maximum opening degree, or a command corresponding to the maximum opening degree or the minimum opening degree, and the initial opening degree, to a drive and control module by the air-conditioning controller.

22. The control method for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 19, comprising:

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a third working current into the stepping motor in the case that the controller for the electronic expansion valve determines that a position of the valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is below a preset transition position; and

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a fourth working current into the stepping motor in the case that the position of the valve needle of the electronic expansion valve is above or is just the preset transition position, wherein the fourth working current is less than the third working current, and the preset transition position is a position where the valve needle is located in the case that the valve needle is disengaged from the passage of the refrigerant after the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve rotates by a certain degree and the passage of the refrigerant is opened.

23. The control method for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 19, comprising:

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a fifth working current into the stepping motor in the case that the controller for the electronic expansion valve determines that a pressure of refrigerant at a refrigerant inlet or a pressure difference between the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet and a pressure of refrigerant at a refrigerant outlet of the electronic expansion valve is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold value; and

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a sixth working current into the stepping motor in the case that the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet or the pressure difference between the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant inlet and the pressure of refrigerant at the refrigerant outlet of the electronic expansion valve is less than the predetermined threshold value, wherein the sixth working current is less than the fifth working current.

24. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 19, comprising:

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, a seventh working current into the stepping motor in the case that the controller for the electronic expansion valve determines that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve stalls; and

inputting, by the controller for the electronic expansion valve, an eighth working current into the stepping motor in the case that the controller for the electronic expansion valve determines that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve does not stall, wherein the eighth working current is less than the seventh working current.

25. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 24, wherein a signal indicating whether the stepping motor stalls is determined by detecting a flow rate of the refrigerant of the electronic expansion valve, the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to obtain a current actual value of the flow rate of the refrigerant via a sensor, and a current opening degree information of the electronic expansion valve is stored in a memorizer of the controller for the electronic expansion valve, and the controller for the electronic expansion valve is configured to obtain a current theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant according to a correspondence relationship between the opening degree information and the flow rate of the refrigerant, and in the case that a difference between the actual value and the theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant is small, it is determined that the electronic expansion valve operates normally;

and in the case that the difference between the actual value and the theoretical value of the flow rate of the refrigerant is greater than a threshold value, it is determined that the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve stalls.

26. The electronic expansion valve according to claim 24, wherein a signal indicating whether the stepping motor stalls is determined by detecting a back electromotive force generated on a coil of the stepping motor of the electronic expansion valve, and it is determined that the stepping motor stalls in the case that a value of the back electromotive force is smaller than a threshold value.

27. A control method for an air conditioning system, the air conditioning system comprising a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator and an electronic expansion valve, wherein refrigerant is configured to pass through the electronic expansion valve to form a circulation in the condenser, the evaporator and the compressor, and a control method for the electronic expansion valve is the control method for the electronic expansion valve according to claim 19 to claim 26.