What happens to the refrigerant as it passes through the expansion valve?

As the refrigerant passes through the expansion valve, it undergoes a significant drop in pressure. This is a crucial part of the refrigeration cycle designed to facilitate the cooling process.

When the high-pressure liquid refrigerant enters the expansion valve, it encounters a restriction, which results in a rapid decrease in pressure. This pressure drop causes the refrigerant to expand and begins its transformation from a liquid state into a vapor. This change in pressure and subsequent phase change is essential because it prepares the refrigerant for the next stage of the cycle, where it will absorb heat from the cabin air as it evaporates in the evaporator coil.

Thus, the process of changing from high pressure to low pressure in the expansion valve is vital for the efficient operation of the cabin atmosphere control system. This understanding of the behavior of refrigerant as it moves through the expansion valve is key to grasping how cooling processes work within the system.