Gentlemen,
The purpose of the expansion valve and EPR valve (evaporator pressure regulator) is:
Expansion valve meters the LIQUID refrigerant into the evaporator to maintain an even amount of refrigerant to achieve maximum cooling...evaporation rate....too little refrigerant results in luke cooi temp being discharged. Too much refrigerant results in poor cooling due to flooding the evaporator allowing no time for the refrigerant to boil and abdorb heat. Remrmber, you do not make cool but remove heat (thru the process of latent heat of vaporization...removal of heat).
The purpose of the EPR valve is to maintain a constant evaporator pressure, in the case of R12, 30 psi equals approximately 36 drgrees to prevent accumulated condensate on the air side of the evaporator from freezing.
The two valves work in conjunction to maximize cooling efficiency.
Different refrigerants (R12 & R134A) perform according to their individual specific heat and pressure characteristics and require different control methods...like GM's CCOT (cycling compressor clutch for pressure control and an orifice tube or expansion valve for liquid refrigerant control.
Thus endith the lesson....questions????
Bob Renton