The throttling valve is an essential component of any refrigeration system and its proper functioning is crucial for the successful operation of the refrigeration cycle. Its primary function is to expand the pressurized hot refrigerant and convert it into low-pressure cold refrigerant while maintaining a constant enthalpy and controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant. However, selecting the appropriate throttling valve is challenging, and a wrong decision can harm the system's performance. To overcome this challenge, decision-makers rely on multi-attribute decision-making methods to select the best throttle valve from a wide range of high-quality options available in the market. In this study, the three selected decision-making methods viz: analytical hierarchy process, technique of order preference by similarity to ideal solution and preference selection index are used for ranking appropriate throttle valves. The seven alternatives and seven attributes are considered to determine the best ranks. The results are compared with solutions obtained using selected methods, and it is observed that the QCX-2034BUC throttling valve has been determined to be the best choice, and the QCX-1534BUC is the last choice. The results of the investigation can potentially enhance the process and performance of refrigeration systems. Thus, the present study assists decision-makers in evaluating and ranking the best solution for their refrigeration system.
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